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LIBRARY OF CONGRESS 



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Hollinger Corp. 
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A SURVEY 



Of the Municipal University Adventure, In- 
cluding Its Relation to the Excess of Annual 
Operating Expenses Over Annual Receipts in 
the City of Toledo ; 

Based on the Investigation and Report of the 
City Commission of Publicity and Efficiency, 
and the Investigation and Report of the Toledo 
Commerce Club Committee on Public Effi- 
ciency and Economy. 



A FINANCIAL CRISIS 



In City Administration — Expenditures Con- 
tinually Outrunning Income — The Municipal 
University Adventure a Leading Contributory 
Cause. 



Close the University Spigot, Protect the Board of Education 
and the Elementary and Secondary Schools, Safeguard the Puhlic 
Library and the Department of Public Health. 



Working Income University of Michigan 
Working Income Ohio State University 
Working Income State Normal School Near To] 
(estimated ------- 






V 



$2,500,000 
SI, 500,000 
do 

$150,000 



) A(i ^A^t 



To— PHILIP HASSENZAHL 
C. C. KILBURY 
HARRY T. IRWIN 
GUSTAVUS A. HEIN 
JAMES W. BROWN 
H. M. CURTIS 
A. HOFF 
R. NOWICKI 
ALBERT H. EMCH 
JOHN MULHOLLAND 
FRANK MILLER 
E. D. CULLEN 
R. F. REDD 

STANLEY KRYZANIAK 
W. H. SCHEERER 
W. E. STARNER 
E. RINALDI v 

Members of Toledo City 
Council. 



EDITED AND COMPILED BY 

ALBERT E. MACOMBER 

SEPTEMBER, 1916. 



Fress of Krans & Schreiber 

124 Michigan Street 

Toledo, Ohio 



c 



^?v 



i' „M 



The Gities Named Below Do Not Indulge in the Ex- 
travagance of Municipal Universities, and Do Not So 
Impair Tax Revenues at the Expense of More Vital Civic 
Needs and Duties; 



Boston 

Detroit 

New Orleans 

Los Angeles 

Indianapolis 

Seattle 

Wooster 

Scranton 

Richmond 

Nashville 

Chicago 

Baltimore 

Buffalo 

Washington, D. C. 



Jersey City 

Louisville 

Denver 

Atlanta 

Patterson 

Oakland 

Dayton 

Philadelphia 

Clevelaad 

San Francisco 

Newark 

Kansas City 

Providence 



Portland 

Syracuse 

Omaha 

Grand Rapids 

St. Louis 

Pittsburg 

Milwaukee 

Minneapolis 

Rochester 

St. Paul 

Columbus 

New Haven 

Memphis 

Fall River 



mm 







THE WIDE OPEN UNIVERSITY SPIGOT 



From this wide open Spigot will leak for every calender day 
in 1917 $500.00 or for every working school day $800.00. 
$2,000.00 are taken every working-day from Tax Revenues to 
meet the Interest on the City Funded Debt. To this, the council 
adds $500.00 a day for an impossible and unneeded University 
Adventure. Able Council Advise that this Tax Burden of 
$500.00 per day is not only not Authorized but Prohibited by 
Statute. 



Tax Levies for 1917 Fiscal Year: 

University $143,672.00 mm i mi»,ii 



Public Welfare 99,903.00 

Public Library 42,011.00 



.513 mills — 72 cents per capita. 
.357 mills — 50 cents per capita. 
.150 mills — 21 cents per capita. 



Department of Public Welfare, and Public and Branch Libraries Combined 
Given Less Tax Revenue Than the So-called University. The Vital 
Duties of the Department of Public Welfare Follow : 

CITY CHARTER. Section 150. "The director of public welfare shall 
manage and control all charitable, correctional and reformatory institutions 
and agencies belonging to the city, and the use of all recreational facilities of 
the city, including parks, playgrounds, boulevards and public amusements. 
He shall have charge of the inspection and supervision of all public amuse- 
ments and entertainments. He shall enforce all laws, ordinances, and regula- 
tions relative to the preservation and promotion of the public health, the 
prevention and restriction of disease, the prevention, abatement and suspension 
of nuisances, and the sanitary inspection and supervision of the production, 
transportation, storage and sale of foods and food stuffs. He shall cause a 
complete and accurate system of vital statistics to be kept. In time of epi- 
demic he may enforce such quarentine and isolation regulations as are appro- 
priate to the emergency. He shall have the supervision of the free employment 
office, and of municipal cemeteries and crematories. The commissioner of 
health shall be the deputy director of public welfare." 

The 1917 university tax levy as it now stands creates a burden on the city 
of $500.00 for each calender day. or $800.00 for each working school day. The 
City Commission of Publicity and Efficiency and the Toledo Commerce Club 
Committee both found this university adventure extravagent, wasteful, unnec- 
essary, and almost without precedent in municipal expenditures. In all the 
United States only two cities divert public revenues to such a purpose, and 
both of these cities are confronted with financial embarrassment approximating 
that which now confronts Toledo. 

That 72 cents per capita of public revenue should be diverted to such a 
purpose and at the same time the Public Libraries be restricted in income to 
21 cents per capita, and the Department of Public Welfare with its important 
activities enumerated above should be restricted to the paltry income of 50 
cents per capita, is nothing short of a tragedy in municipal administration. 

This condition need not continue. The council and the electors (who will 

gladly approve if given a chance) have the power to award $150,000 to the 

inadequate revenues of the Department of Public Welfare and to the important 

needs of the Public Libraries. Can the council afford not to take action in 

the premises. 

2 



Comparative University Appropriations 

Toledo University, 1910, $2500 
Toledo University, 1916, $80,613 
Toledo University, 1917, $143,672 



Toledo's share in support of Ohio State University and State Normal Schools 
and Colleges 1916-17 Fiscal Year $100,000. 



The largest sum the University of Michigan received in any one year previous 
to 1868 — a period of thirty years — aside from tuition fees, was $12,000. 
This sum represented the annual interest on the endowment derived from 
sale of lands granted by the United States Government. 

IHHE«HI-$42,000 



Tax Revenues for 1917 are Distributed as 

Shown Below : 



Interest and Sinking Fund— $1,128,960 

■■im—ih nimi'iaaiimii iiiniiiiiiiiiii'in 



City Administration, All Departments Except University— $755,160 
University- $143,672 

By the Elimination of the University Levy (there is still 
time) and the adoption of a resolution by the council and 
approval by the electors at the November election, the 
Operating Income of the city may be increased §143,672 
and without imposing any additional burden on the tax 
payers of the city. This will result in the reduction in the 
deficit debt of 1917 of $150,000, and will reduce the 
certificates of indebtedness in that sum. The operating in- 
come of the city for 1917 could then be shown thus : 

1917 Operating Income— $755,160 -I- $143,672 = $898,832 



The Threat to Defeat the $850,700 De- 
ficit Bond Issue. 

It is an open secret that a majority of 
council members were unfavorable to the 
university levy, and months of strenuous 
labor by the university faculty had failed 
to convert the minority in the council to 
a majority. Vigorous measures were in 
demand. 

The financial situation of the city was 
desperate. The only hope for relief was 
in the approval by the people of a deficit 
bond issue in the sum of $850,700 to be 
approved or rejected August 8th, 1916. 

The University with its knowledge of 
psychology saw its opportunity. Pass 
the university tax levy in the sum and 
in the manner we demand and your de- 
ficit bond issue will be approved — fail to 
pass the university levy as we demand 
and yonr deficit bond measure will be 
defeated. Said one sponsor of the uni- 
versity as reported in the press, Blade, 
July 17, 1916, "We have 5000 clean votes 
and will not tolerate the defeat of the 
university levy. If the city hall does not 
favor the university we will vote down 
the bond issue." Suddenly and over 
night, the university minority became a 
majority. 

The 8th of August arrived. In city 
administrative circles the air was tense 
with solicitude ; with the aid of the uni- 
versity vote the deficit bond issue would 
certainly be approved. The day passed, 
the votes were counted. The 5000 uni- 
versity votes did not appear; they did 
not exist ; the council had banked on the 
wrong horse ; in the sections of the city 
where the university influence was most 
expected, the failure to support the de- 
ficit bond issue was most in evidence. 



What the Survey Shows. 

Several deeply significant facts emerge 
from this investigation: 

First. That universities are costly insti- 
tntions, costly when strong and efficient, and 
costly when weak and inefficient; they in- 



volve an expenditure beyond the resources 
of a city of the population and wealth of 
Toledo. 

Second. That several institutions of the 
highest order are conveniently accessible to 
Toledo, where university training is fur- 
nished to duly prepared students, at almost 
nominal tuition fees — not exceeding one- 
eighth to one-fourth of the actual cost — 
this is made possible by large endowments 
or State and National appropriations. To 
these institutions the great body of Toledo 
collegiate students repair and will con- 
tinue to repair, regardless of any expendi- 
ture upon any local municipal adventure. 

Third. That Toledo is a part of the State 
of Ohio, interrelated with all State activi- 
ties in education and government, and con- 
tributes through direct and indirect taxation 
her proportionate part of all expenditures 
for government and higher education. For 
the State institutions of higher education 
Toledo will contribute for the current year 
not less than $100,000. 

Fourth. What the Ohio State University 
does for the State in academic and profes- 
sional teaching, and in placing its scientific 
and engineering laboratories in close touch 
with the industrial life of all parts of the 
State, it does for Toledo and for every citizen 
of Toledo, by virtue of his Ohio citizenship. 
The attempt to obscure these facts and to 
create the impression that a local university 
must be maintained to do for Toledo what 
the Ohio State University does for the State 
for education and laboratory research 
is misleading and reflects upon the sincerity 
of the men who indulge in such contention. 

Fifth. The $143,672.00 voted to the so- 
called municipal university by the city coun- 
cil on July 24, 1916, and as an emergency 
measure for "the immediate preservation 
of the peace, health, safety and property" 
of the city, would pay fees, board, lodging 
and transportation for every Toledo student 
now in attendance at any well recognized 
collegiate institution — placing such students, 
say, one-half at the Ohio State University 
and one-half at the University of Michigan. 

One-third of such sum would pay tuition, 
board, lodging and transportation for such 
number of duly prepared students as were 
found in the average daily attendance in the 
so-called Toledo University last year, com- 
puted on the basis of a fair working day. 

Sixth. That the Council and electors have 
ample legislative authority to add to city 
operating tax revenue for the 1917 fiscal 
year the sum of $150,000; that the failure 
to secure such revenue will increase the 
volume of "certificate of indebtedness" 
during the ensuing year in the sum of 
$150',000. This means, in short, that the 
$150,000 awarded to the university adven- 
ture under the ordinance of July 24, 1916, 
will reappear in certificates of indebtedness 
in 1917, and that all expenditures for the 
university have been and will continue to be 
represented in full in the continually in- 
creasing deficit bonded debt of the city. 



Excerpts from Survey Report of the City Commission of Publicity 

and Efficiency in Reply to the Chairman of Council Finance 

Committee, ^Published in Toledo City Journal, 

July 29, 1916. 



The commission published several 
tables indicating registration, limited at- 
tendance and the few hours per week de- 
voted to class instruction. While the 
university claimed a registration of 912 
for the school year of 1915-16, so irregu- 
lar and transitory was the attendance of 
most, that computing attendance on the 
basis of four hours a day, five days a 
week, the actual average attendance was 
156 ; the per capita cost of such average 
attendance computed as above, was as 
the commission estimated $327.00- as 
against a like four-hour attendance in 
the city high schools of $72.00. 

The teaching hours per week of 17 
professors range from 7.5 hours per week 
to 23 hoars — the average for the 17 pro- 
fessors and deans was 2.7 hours per day. 
This compution did not include the pres- 
ident, whose teaching hours did not ex- 
ceed 2.5 hours per week. A teaching 
hour in the Toledo University is 50 
minutes. The report says: 



Toledo, O., June 28, 1916. 
*The Commission of Publicity and Efficiency, 

City of Toledo, O. 

Gentlemen: — As chairman of the finance 
committee of council, I feel that it is very 
important that in preparing estimates for 
submission to the council at the meeting 
July 10, 1916, we have at hand accurate in- 
formation. 

The trustees of Toledo University have 
requested a special levy for the university 
of .55 of a mill, which is .25 of a mill more 
than council allowed last year. This would 
produce on our estimated duplicate $154,000, 
or almost twice as much as the university re- 
ceived in 1915. 

As there seems to be a difference of opin- 
ion in regard to the advisability of this levy 
at this time, and as your committee is the 
body provided by the charter for furnishing 
the assistance which is needed, I respectfully 
request that your furnish at the earliest pos- 
sible date a report on the work that has been 
done bv Toledo University in the past year, 
as to the number of students, courses they 
pursue, number of hours of instruction, sal- 
aries paid employes, showing any increase 
for the past three years, and the need of this 
greatly increased levy. 

Respectfully yours, 

C. C. KILBURY, 

Chairman Finance Committee of City 
Council. 



limited Attendance; Excessive Cost. 

"From the foregoing tables it will be 
noted that the average number of hours 
per day for which students registered in 
1915-16 is almost exactly one hour 
(1.03), a result obtained by dividing the 
total semester hours by the total num- 
ber of students and dividing the figure 
thereby obtained by 5, the number of 
days in the week. 

"During the entire college year, 912 
different persons registered at the Uni- 
versity. 

' ' The average registration for the year 
1915-16 was 625, a result obtained by 
averaging the registrations of the first 
and second semesters, 686 plus 8 and 549 
plus 8, respectively. 

■ ' This result expressed in terms of high 
school registration — where students en- 
roll for approximately four times as 
many hours per day — is equivalent to a 
registration of one-fourth of 625, or 156. 

"In order to arrive at the cost per 
capita of instruction given by the To- 
ledo University, it would seem to be fair 
to take as a basis the estimated expenses 
for 1916, less the outlays for building 
and equipment, and less the expense of 
the Public Service Bureau. 

"This gives a net cost of $50,000 for 
156 pupils, or a per capita cost of $327, 
which is comparable with the per capita 
cost in the Toledo high schools of only 
$72." 

The commission called attention to the 
statutes conferring on the Board of Edu- 
cation the educational work of the city, 
the authority to maintain high schools 
with advanced courses of instruction- 
including a Junior Collegiate course if 
found advisable — and evening high 
schools, including manual and technical 
instruction. The statutes cited and pub- 
lished in whole or part follow : 

High Schools; Courses of Study. 

The range of studies authorized in 
city high schools under boards of educa- 
tion is set forth in section 7649, Ohio 
General Code, as follows: 



"Sec. 7649. A high school is hereby de- 
fined as a school of higher grade than an 
elementary school, in which instruction and 
training are given in approved courses in 
the history of the United States and other 
countries; composition, rhetoric, English 
and American literature ; algebra and geom- 
etry; natural science, political or mental 
science, ancient or modern foreign lan- 
guages, or both, commercial and industrial 
branches, or such of the above named 
branches as the length of its curriculum 
may make possible, and such other branches 
of higher grade than those to be taught in 
the elementary schools, and such advanced 
studies and advanced reviews of the com- 
mon branches as the board of education may 
direct." 

In section 7652, it is further pro- 
vided that, 

"A high school of the first grade shall be 
a school in which the courses offered shall 
cover a period of not less than four years, 
and of not less than thirty-two weeks each 
in which sixteen courses are required for 
graduation." 

In section 7722 it is still further pro- 
vided that, 

"Any board of education may establish 
pnd maintain, Manual Training, Domestic 
Science, and Commercial Departments; 
Agricultural, Industrial, Vocational and 
Trade Schools." 

Evening High Schools, With Technical 
Courses of Instruction. 

Ample provision is made for Night or 
Evening schools in Sections 7679 and 
7680. These sections provide that such 
Evening schools shall be maintained giv- 
ing instruction in any subject taught in 
the Day school, whenever a petition shall 
be presented which shall contain the 
names of not less than twenty-five youths 
of school age, (under twenty-one years 
of age) who will attend such school, 
and who for reasons satisfactory to the 
board, are prevented from attending the 
day school. Any person more than 
twenty-one years of age may be permit- 
ted to attend evening school upon such 
terms, and upon payment of such tuition 
as the Board of Education may prescribe. 
That is without tuition fees. Under the 
provisions of these sections any ' ' twenty- 
five youths of school age who will attend 
such school, and who for reasons satis- 
factory to the Board, are prevented from 
attending the day school," may set the 
whole Manual Department of Waite or 
Scott High Schools in operation as an 
Evening Technical School. The range 
of work and facilities for instruction in 



evening classes, are set forth in a recent 
publication by the Toledo Board of Edu- 
cation. 

A Junior Collegiate Course Under the 
Board of Education. 

The commission found the Board of 
Education vested with ample authority 
to maintain a Junior Collegiate Course 
of instruction, and said: "Students in 
the Scott and Waite High Schools, not 
infrequently remain for post graduate 
work, pointing the way to work equiva- 
lent to Junior Colleges, with relatively 
little added expense." The report fur- 
ther notes that, "In certain parts of the 
United States, notably California, in De- 
troit, Grand Eapids, Michigan, Boards 
of Education have established junior 
colleges, covering the first two years of 
college work."* 

The Commission refers to the pamph- 
let published by the Board of Education, 
giving the courses of instruction furnish- 
ed in the city high schools, and also to 
the illustrated pamphlet giving the work 
of the evening high school and attend- 
ance in 1913-14 school year. 

It is pertinent in this connection to add 
a further word calling attention to the 
close relation that obtains between To- 
ledo and the State Normal Schools and 
the Ohio State Universitj^. 

The State Normal College at Bowling 
Green. 

After many years of strenuous effort 
from citizens and legislative representa- 
tives from the counties of Northwestern 
Ohio — with Lucas county in the lead — 
the State now maintains a Normal Col- 
lege of high grade in the adjacent county 
of Wood, at Bowling Green. . This Nor- 
mal College was located not far distant 
from Toledo, with the view and under the 
tacit promise that such school would re- 
ceive the patronage of Toledo students 
preparing for the vocation of public 



*The United States Commissioner of Edu- 
cation states that 10,000 high schools in the 
United States offer four years' work. On 
apparently good authority it is elsewhere 
stated that 256 of these high schools now 
give two additional years' work, "which fur- 
pish the freshman and sophomore years of 
the college course." This Junior College 
movement, says Dr. N. S. Athearn of the 
Boston University, "will mean the death 
knell of the small denominational college 
and academy." 



school teaching; that is, that no school 
would be maintained by the Toledo Board 
of Education or the City of Toledo, in 
competition with such State school so lo- 
cated for the convenience of Toledo stu- 
dents. Thus relieving Toledo from the 
cost of Normal School training. 

For this Normal College, the State 
has acquired an 83 acre tract of land ; 
already three commodious buildings have 
been completed and now in use ; and 
two additional buildings are in process 
of construction. The plant, comprising 
land, buildings, laboratories, equipments 
and furnishings, when completed will 
approximate in value one million dollars. 
The state appropriation for the 1916-17 
school year is $166,985. Two railways 
connect Bowling Green and Toledo. 

The Ohio State University. 

The advanced instruction furnished at 
the Ohio State University is too well 
known to need further mention here. 
The Ohio State maintains an unsurpassed 
College of Agriculture ; the professional 
courses comprise Law, Engineering, and 
now Medicine. The Arts and Science 
course covers a wide range and is espec- 
ially strong in science. 

The State appropriation for the Ohio 
State University, for the 1916-17 school 
year is $1,363,80. This appropriation 
was largely based on an estimated cost of 
$250 for each student in attendance. The 
tuition fees in Agriculture, and in the 
Arts and Science courses are merely 
nominal — $30.00 per year. 

The appropriations for the State Uni- 
versity and the several Normal Colleges 
for the 1916-17 school year was $2,502,- 
834. (See 1914 Session Laws.) A small 
part of this sum is derived from the Gen- 
eral Property Tax, and the larger part 
from the General Revenue Fund, accu- 
mulated from license fees, corporation 
tax, etc. Fully one-twenty fifth of this 
sum is collected from the City of Toledo 
through the General Property Tax and 
charges imposed on the business activi- 
ties of her citizens and in the total sum 
of not less than $100,000. 

For this sum so collected the graduated 
students of our city high schools, and 
others in like manner prepared, have 
practically free access to the opportuni- 
ties furnished by the State Normal Col- 
leges, and the Ohio State University; 



briefly stated, every student completing 
the four years high school course of in- 
struction is presented with a free scholar- 
ship in a State Normal College or in the 
Ohio State University. In addition to 
the foregoing institutions of higher 
learning may be mentioned the Univer- 
sity of Michigan with its working income 
of $2,500,000 and the strongly endowed 
Oberlin College so freely patronized by 
many Toledo families. 

For many years our Toledo board of 
education has been deprived of adequate 
revenues for the proper maintenance of 
the public school system, and the instruc- 
tion of the 30,000 children under its care. 
This condition has made imperative two 
school bond issues of $1,000,000 each to 
be repaid in the mature life of children 
now in the elementary schools. The 
board of education needs an annual rev- 
enue of $160,000 for new school build- 
ings. Unprovided with this, in the tax 
revenues, all new ward school buildings 
for several years past have been erected 
from the sale of lung time school bonds. 
This condition cannot much longer con- 
tinue.* 



Toledo, Ohio, June 29, 1916. 

*Board of Directors, Toledo University, To- 
ledo, Ohio. 

Gentlemen: — In view of the fact that 
financial aid asked by the University from 
the city has jumped from $2,991.80 in 1911, 
that being the amount of taxes received by 
the University during said year, to $143,- 
672.00, the amount of your present budget 
request for 1917, and in view of the fact that 
the city is at this time in such dire financial 
straits that city departments other than the 
University, especially the police, fire and 
health departments, have to be operated, 
from lack of suffifficient revenue, in such a 
reduced and niggardly manner as to materi- 
ally impair their proper scope and efficiency, 
and in view of the further fact that remedial 
measures required to w'pe out the large an- 
nual deficit and to produce revenue sufficient 
to operate the other city departments on a 
basis commensurate with the needs and the 
best interests of this great and growing city 
are not, as yet, in sight, and as the budget 
you submitted is now before the finance com- 
mittee of Council for consideration, as Di- 
rector of Finance of the City of Toledo, I de- 
sire to submit to you the following questions 
for the information of the taxpayers and the 
city officials, and would appreciate a de- 
tailed reply to the same at the earliest pos- 
sible t ; me. Respectfully, 

J. E. DIEMER, 
Director of Finance. 



A Municipal Degree Factory 



An examination of the output of the enterprise, and the inconsequential 

university, during the checkered career overlapping of educational opportuni- 

of this municipal adventure, illustrates ties already provided, 
the wastefulness and futility of such an 



Year 



1905 
1906 
1907 
1908 
1909 
1910 
1911 
1912 
1913 
1914 
1915 
1916 



Degrees Conferred 

M.D. Ph.C. LL.B. B.A. M.A. B.C. Sc. 



6 
6 
8 
3 
5 
9 
8 
9 
15 
2 





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10 
10 
3 
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22 
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71 



51 



34 



16 



The above table measures the product 
of the so-called Municipal University 
since a Mayor, with no advice or con- 
sent of the city council, imposed a new 
burden on the city. 

It will be observed that out of a total 
of 191 degrees, granted in 12 years — 
71 were awarded to students in medi- 
cine, a school so weak and inadequate 
that the American Medical Association 
and the State Medical Board combined 
to put it out of business, and prospect- 
ive medical students the country over 
were warned against it. 

Fifty-one degrees have been awarded 
to students in a so-called College of 
Pharmacy— the only Municipal School 
of Pharmacy in the United States — a 
school of like grade with the School of 
Medicine, built up by the unlawful 
transfer of the Chemical Laboratory of 
the Scott Manual Training School to a 
rented building on Cherry street, a 
school so depleted in attendance that 
only three new students entered last 
year. 

Thirty-four degrees have been award- 
ed to students in an evening School of 



Law — the only municipal School of Law 
in the United States — a school of doubt- 
ful utility in view of the instruction ob- 
tainable at the nearby State Universi- 
ties, and certainly of unnecessary dupli- 
cation, since equal if not better instruc- 
tion in law is furnished without cost to 
the city in the local St. John's College. 

Sixteen B. A. degrees have been 
awarded with much flourish to men and 
women in mature life, after having re- 
ceived liberal credits for previously ac- 
quired instruction in other schools. A 
Junior College diploma, secured from 
the Scott or Waite High School, would 
be of far greater value. 

Six M. A. degrees were awarded to 
men in middle life, all in receipt of gen- 
erous salaries or incomes, and abund- 
antly able to meet their requirements in 
higher education without calling upon 
the city treasury. Most, if not all, of 
these persons already had degrees se- 
cured in universities of good repute. 

For ten years bulletins in the aggre- 
gate number of more than 100,000 
copies have announced a four year 
course in a "College of Industrial 



8 



Science." The total output to date has 
been seven boys with a Junior College 
diploma implying two years ' attendance 
and instruction. A post graduate course 
in the Manual Department of the Scott 
or Waite High School would have been 
of far greater value ; such boys would 
have received instruction and been fur- 
nished with laboratory and shop equip- 
ments far superior. 

Of the 25 persons receiving degrees 
on June 14, 1916, only 10 were grad- 
uated in recent years from the Toledo 
High School, and 2 completed the To- 
ledo High School course 20 years ago. 
These high school students were rep- 
resented in the so-called university 
classes as follows : Law, 1 ; Pharmacy, 
1 ; Junior Course in Engineering, 4 ; 
Candidates for B. A. Degrees, 3 ; for 
the M. A. Degree, 1 ; Bachelor in Ele- 
mentary Education, 1 ; Bachelor in Sec- 
ondary Education, 2. 

The majority of the students grad- 
uated on the 14th of June, 1916, did not 
graduate from the city high schools. Of 
such non-high school students two, if 
not three, were men in mature life and 
holding degrees from the Ohio State 
University. 

The following official report of the 
Toledo University registration has been 
made public — the names of students 
who registered for manifest reasons are 
withheld : 

(DQ Ul AT 

+i to oj S C 

1 <gg ^|J 

•B g to ^ * gj, 

O 3 .3 Dc OH) 

College 

Arts and Science 110 108 44 262 

Teachers' College 56 65 50 171 

Commerce and Business.. 15 18 19 52 

Engineering College 17 2 .... 19 

Industrial Division 23 112 23 158 

Law 23 19 9 51 

Pharmacy 6 2 2 10 

Extension Division 33 63 115 211 

283 389 262 934 
Students registered in two colleges 64 

Total number of students (no dupli- 
cates) 870 



From the above table it appears that 
219 students (not counting duplication) 
registered for both 1915-16 semesters. 
This number of so-called regular stu- 
dents were accompanied from time to 
time by 651 "floaters" who attended 
some part of one semester only; how 
small a part is not indicated. 

Thus, in the so-called College of Arts 
and Sciences 110 students were enrolled 
in both semesters (duplication not 
shown) but 152 "floaters" who attended 
only some part of one semester — how 
small a part does not appear — are 
counted in the total enrollment. A like 
method in all the multitudious depart- 
ments appears, swelling by this method 
the record registration to 870. 

No evidence appears touching the reg- 
ularity of daily attendance by the lim- 
ited number registered in both semes- 
ters. There is ample evidence to sup- 
port the contention that the average 
daily attendance based on five days a 
week and five hours a day for the last 
semester did not exceed one hundred. 

The above contention is amply sup- 
ported by the meagre output of 25 
graduated students in 1916 in seven col- 
leges. The annual bulletin sets forth 
with much gravity certain tuition fees 
which must be paid — all on a "cut-rate" 
basis. These fees collected last year 
did not exceed $3,000, and 100 students 
at the advertised rates would produce 
approximately that sum. 

The vouchers on file in the city audi- 
tor's office indicate an expenditure so 
great that it may confidently be stated 
that the 25 degrees awarded June 14, 
1916, on an average, cost the taxpayers 
of Toledo in excess of $2,000 each, and 
as it appears that the Colleges of Law 
and Pharmacy do not get much financial 
aid from the University, it is quite cer- 
tain that expenditures on other gradu- 
ated students reached a sum in excess of 
$2,500 each. This abnormal cost is ex- 
plainable in part by the generous fac- 
ulty, the limited number of regular stu- 
dents and numerous small classes fre- 
quently with an attendance of one, two. 
three, and often with an average for an 
entire semester of three, or less. 



Excerpts From Survey Report of Toledo Com- 
merce Club, (See Commerce Club News, 

August 19, 1916). 



The report includes several tables with 
statistical data furnished by the Univer- 
sity. The numerous tables and charts so 
furnished were supposed to indicate mag- 
nitude of work, but when analyzed the 
same factors continually emerge under a 
new classification. 

The survey reaches the following con- 
clusions : 

1 ' Cost Out of Proportion to Service Ren- 
dered. 

"Toledo University students during 
the last academic year averaged one fifty- 
minute period of class room work per 
day. Older, better established colleges 
and universities as well as the local high 
school average 3.6 times as much. The 
average registration in the two semesters 
last year at the Toledo University was 
625. 

"It is to be noted that of the 912 only 
338, or 371/2%, were found in both semes- 
ters ; 355 started in the first semester, but 
failed to appear in the second, while 219 
did not start until the second semester. A 
semester is half of the academic year. 
The first semester extends from the mid- 
dle of September through January, the 
second semester from February to the 
middle of June. By adding to the 338 
registered in both semesters the 355 reg- 
istered in the first semester only, and the 
219 registered in the second semester 
only, the total registration is shown to 
be 695 for the first semester and 557 for 
the second. It would seem that a fair 
statement of the University registration 
for the last school year would be an 
average of the semester registrations, or 
625, a figure considerably smaller than 
either the 870 generally circulated, or the 
912 afterwards determined. 

"The question then arises as to how 
frequently these 625 students attended 
classes at the University. This is im- 
portant as enabling one to arrive at an 
idea of per capita cost. After careful 



analysis of University records, a full ex- 
planation of which is contained in Ap- 
pendix B, it was found that these 625 
students averaged one fify minute period 
of instruction per day. The ordinary 
time devoted by students to class room 
work in the older, better established col- 
leges and universities is three 60 minute 
periods per day, or 3.6 times as much as 
at Toledo University. High school stu- 
dents average four 45 minute periods per 
day, or 3.6 times as much as at Toledo 
University. The average registration of 
625, divided by 3.6, is 174 students, if a 
full time university or high school basis 
is considered. This is less than one-fifth 
the number advertised. On the Toledo 
University basis the high schools with 
approximately 3,000 full time students 
might claim 15,000 in estimating the per 
capita cost. 

"The estimated cost for operating the 
University for 1916, according to figures 
submitted by the University authorities, 
will be about $52,000, after deducting 
outlays for permanent improvements, 
cost of what the University officers desig- 
nate as the 'public service bureau' and 
health laboratories. On the full time 
registration basis of 174, this means a per 
capita cost of $299, as compared with 
about $72 for high school students* 



*As a matter of fact, notwithstanding the 
one session period the average high school 
teacher devotes not less than five hours a 
day to class work and over time assistance 
to students. The university registration of 
625 students at one hour a day is the equiva- 
lent of 125 students at five hours per day. 
One hundred and twenty-five students at a 
cost of $52,000, indicates a per capita cost 
of $416.00. 

The evening students, remaining less than 
three months — two evenings per week, fur- 
nished with teachers at $2.00 per "night" — 
cost but little. The remainder, even on the 
basis of one hour per day, cost not less than 
$100.00 per capita, and on a basis of five 
hours a day, in excess of $500. The gradu- 
ated students, other than law and pharmacy, 
are very few. The cost of each to the city is 
far greater than the sum required to pay 
board fees and transportation at the Ohio 
State University. 



10 



"Financial Condition of the City. 

"The needs of the city for operating 
purposes, other than University, as indi- 
cated by the appropriation ordinances 
passed last January, are more than 
$1,600,000. To this must be added obli- 
gations of more than $275,000, making a 
total of close to $1,900,000. (See Appen- 
dix D.) To meet these needs the city 
will have during 1916 less than $380,000 
(see Appendix C), leaving a deficit of 
more than a million and a half dollars. 

"Because of this financial condition the 
Division of Health has been so handi- 
capped as to seriously injure the health 
of the city, as is shown by the following 
comparison of mortality and morbidity 
from certain diseases for the first seven 
months of 1915 and 1916: 

[The death rate for 1916 exceeded the 
death rate for the same period in 1915 by 
236 ; the victims of contagious diseases 
for 1916 exceeded the number for the 
same period in 1915 by 6680.] 

"With all these needs for which pro- 
vision cannot be made, the tax rate for 
1917 will be 15.8 mills, the highest since 
the Smith law went into effect, imposing 
a tax burden heavier than the city has 
ever known. In spite of the increased 
tax rate, and leaving out of consideration 
the floating debt of $850,700, to pay 
which the voters at the recent primaries 
refused to authorize the issue of defi- 
ciency bonds, the city will be about $500,- 
000 short of meeting actual necessities. 

"Financial Prospects After 1917 Even 
Less Satisfactory. 

"A shortage of even more than $500,- 
000 in the city's revenue for 1917 must 
be made up. To make up this deficit and 
to produce sufficient operating revenue 
for 1918 (even if the limitations of the 
Smith law are removed by the Legisla- 
ture) will require a tax rate of more 
than 19 mills for 1918. The onlv other 



means of meeting this deficit is through 
special assessments, licenses and permits. 
The impossibility of raising $500,000 a 
year from such sources is apparent. 

"The University Not Vital to the Wel- 
fare of the City. 

"The Board of Education has been 
entrusted by the citizens of Toledo with 
the education of the youth of the city. 
Millions have been invested in buildings 
located in every part of the city. A tax 
of more than $1,300,000 was levied for 
the public schools for the current year. 
Two high schools have been built at a 
cost of a million and three-quarters dol- 
lars. Yet less than 12 per cent of the 
students who enter the schools complete 
the high school courses. Of this 12 per 
cent only a very small proportion (say 
one-third) enter institutions of higher 
education. 

"The Board of Education was forced 
to close the night high schools two years 
ago for lack of funds. Twelve hundred 
students were attending these night high 
schools. The work was costing the Board 
of Education about $10,000 per year. 
Twelve hundred students were deprived 
of a service costing the city less than 
09.00 each because the Board of Edu- 
cation had no money with which to 
carry on the work. Yet the University, 
the very last year the night high school 
were closed, was given nearly $40,000 by 
the same tax payers, to serve about 600 
persons averaging approximately one 
hour of class room work a day. This 
year the University has asked for more 
than $140,000 to benefit the equivalent of 
less than 200 full time students in a regu- 
lar university or in a high school. We 
believe it is vital to the welfare of Toledo 
that the 88 per cent who are unable to 
complete the high school course and the 
thousands of foreigners who cannot speak 
our language be given the opportunities 
which they have been denied and which 
the high schools and ward schools are 
amply able to provide, if the Board of 
Education is given adequate funds. We 
do not believe that under existing finan- 
cial conditions, a levy of $140,000 for a 
University that reaches only a very small 
part of those who do not have the oppor- 
tunity for a high school course is in any 
sense justified. 



11 



"It is claimed that the University is 
attempting to do this work. This, how- 
ever, is not properly a part of University 
functions. The law which allows the 
Council to make a levy for University 
purposes provides specifically that the 
principal part of such an institution's 
work must be the giving of instruction 
in advance of or supplementary to that 
authorized to be maintained in high 
schools by Boards of Education. That 
the foreigners are not reached by the 
University is evidenced by the fact that 
according to University records only six 
persons registered during the past year 
from the Ironville district the Sixteenth 
Ward. It cannot be expected, moreover, 
that these foreigners, mostly laboring 
men, should come to a school in a distant 
part of the city after their day's work. 
How much more practical for the pur- 
poses of instructing these people are the 
grade school buildings, located in every 
ward and within easy reach of everyone 
desiring education, particularly since 
millions of dollars have already been in- 
vested in school buildings and equipment 
largely idle at the very time when such 
instruction is possible. 

' ' It has been claimed that the Univer- 
sity levy of 0.55 mill means only 70 cents 
per capita for the people of Toledo. This 
is in striking contrast to the levy of 20 
cents per capita for the Division of 
Health, 21 cents per capita for the Pub- 
lic Library, and 12 cents per capita for 
Parks and Playgrounds. 

"Sacrifices Made Necessary. 

"We have invested millions in grade 
schools and in high schools that are used 
for the most part five hours a day, five 
days a week, thirty-eight weeks a year. 
Why are they used so little? Because 
the Board of Education hasn't the money 
to use them more. The City of Toledo is 
being denied night high schools. Her 
children and her adults, too, are being 
denied the use of gymnasiums and swim- 
ming pools built at large expense. Some 
of the school children are in half-time 
schools because of inadequate school facil- 
ities. School houses, built at large ex- 
pense for use as social centers in the aft- 
ernoon and evening, are vacant and at 
night the windows are dark. Supervised 
play, the need of which is great, is de- 
nied our children. Why? Because the 



city hasn't enough money. Yet addi- 
tional funds for any of those things can 
be provided from outside the 10 mills 
limit by vote of the people. 

"In the middle of a hot summer the 
lives of our babies are being endangered 
because of utterly inadequate milk in- 
spection. The Division of Health in a 
city close to a quarter of a million in- 
habitants and 31 square miles of terri- 
tory has one sanitary inspector. Pood 
inspection is wholly inadequate. The 
Commissioner of Health states that 800 
unnecessary deaths will occur this year 
because of inadequate health regulation. 
Why? Because the city has no money. 
Yet protection from any of these terrible 
conditions can be secured from between 
the 10 and 15 mills limit of the Smith 
law, if the people authorizes an extra 
levy. 

"The office of Commissioner of Recre- 
ation, an office provided by the charter 
which was adopted by the people, is va- 
cant for the reason that funds are not 
available for the payment of the salary 
of the commissioner. During a hot sum- 
mer our children are denied the recre- 
ation they should have. The city can't 
afford to maintain the swimming pools 
and children are forced to play in the 
streets without supervision. The little 
that is being done on a few of the play- 
grounds is supported by private sub- 
scriptions. The cost to the city of the 
evil effects on health and morals result- 
ing from this situation cannot be esti- 
mated. 

' ' Another handicap to the efficiency of 
the Welfare Department is the lack of a 
workhouse farm. The police judge, in 
the interests of humanity, refuses, when- 
ever possible, to sentence offenders to 
the police station, utterly inadequate and 
unfit as it is to house human beings.* 



*A committee reported to the council of 
the city that "the central police station was 
dilapidated, filthy and unfit for housing hu- 
man beings. " 

An officer of the National Prison Reform 
Association has declared to the Police Judge 
that the Toledo Central Station was the 
worst house of detention that he had found 
in all the United States. 

These conditions remain in Toledo year 
after year, while the council squanders tax 
money in increasing sums on a municipal 
university diploma mill. 



12 



' ' Other cities are providing workhouse 
farms where the unfortunates of the 
city can be given decent surround- 
ings and a chance to recover their lost 
manhood and womanhood through out- 
door life and through contact with na- 
ture. The amount of the University levy 
for 1917 alone would buy and equip a 
workhouse farm of a thousand acres 
where these outcasts of the city could not 
only be brought back to a useful citizen- 
ship, but could be made self-supporting 
while in the process of recovery. Yet the 
city cannot afford a workhouse farm al- 
though it provides for a University psy- 
chological clinic, one of the purposes of 
which is to recommend ways of caring 
for those who are brought into police 
court. The city cannot afford a work- 
house farm, yet the citizens are demand- 
ins: additional patrolmen, to a very con- 
siderable extent made necessary because 
of inability to properly handle police 
court cases. 

' ' That a city of close to a quarter of a 
million inhabitants should empty its sew- 
age, untreated, into the river from which 
its water supply is taken, will not long be 
permitted by health authorities. Two 
years ago plans for an adequate sewage 
disposal plant were submitted to the city 
by Mr. R. W. Pratt of Cleveland, a recog- 
nized expert on sewage disposal. State 
health authorities have repeatedly de- 
manded that something be done, and 
have indeed placed a time limit within 
which this menace to the public health 
must be removed. Yet lack of money 
prevents action. 

''The elimination of the dangerous 
railroad grade crossings has hardly been 
begun in Toledo, while most of our com- 
peting cities have the work either com- 
pleted or well under way. This menace 
not only exacts its toll of human lives 
each year, but through the blocking of 
traffic, wastes countless precious hours of 
the workers of Toledo. Yet the city has 
no money with which to protect its citi- 
zens. The city has expended thousands 
of dollars on a fire alarm system, which 
because of lack of funds, must be housed 
in a building admittedly weak in struc- 
ture and a serious fire hazard of itself. 

"Hundreds of thousands of dollars 
have been invested in a site for a city 
hall, yet for lack of money the city con- 



tinues to pay rent for offices in a private 
building. Sites for branch libraries have 
been bought. The large sum of $125,000 
for buildings has been secured without 
cost to the taxpayers, yet the city is un- 
able to afford $25,000 a year to operate 
these educational institutions. A high 
pressure pumping station with high 
pressure mains and hydrants has been 
built at a cost of several hundred thou- 
sand dollars. This protection to the 
property of the city must stand unused 
for lack of money to operate it. Com- 
fort stations, of which there should be 
many in Toledo, can neither be built nor 
operated for lack of means. Municipal 
docks, a municipal retail market, a muni- 
cipal hospital, are all impossible for lack 
of money to build and operate them. It 
is common knowledge that, owing to lack 
of funds, the city was unable to clean the 
alleys of the city this year. For the same 
reason Council has been compelled to 
place street cleaning on a special assess- 
ment basis, thus adding to the burden 
of the home owner a cost of more than 
$100,000 per year. 

"Encroachment of University Levy on 
City Operating Departments. 

*'The Smith One Per Cent Law provides 
that, by vote of the people, the operating 
levy for city, schools or county may be 
placed outside the 10 mills limit. 

"There is no question, in view of the 
deficiencies in revenue described, that the 
City of Toledo will be forced to make use 
of this emergencv feature. Such levies 
will come into direct competition with 
the University levy and will cause the 
University levy in 1917 to encroach on 
every operating levy of city, school dis- 
trict and county. 

"These are the reasons why the Com- 
merce Club Trustees and the Commerce 
Club Public Efficiency Committee op- 
posed the Universitv levy, a levy nearly 
double that asked for last year. 

"To levy a tax of $150,000 for the 
benefit of what would be equivalent next 
year to approximately 174 full time stu- 
dents, or even 200 full time students, if 
there is a large increase in registration 
next year, does not seem justified from 
any point of view, when conditions such 
as those mentioned above are known to 
exist. 



13 



■ ' Public Policy and Conclusion. 

"With reference to the encroachment 
upon the other operating revenues of 
city, board of education and county, the 
folowing must be borne in mind: 

' ' The law limiting the University levy 
seems to agree with our position that 
financial conditions, such as have been 
described, do not justify an increased 
University levy. This is indicated by the 
following quotation from the second 
paragraph of Section 7908, General 
Code: 

il 'The above tax levies shall not be 
subject to any limitation of rates of tax- 
ation or maximum rates provided by law, 
except the limitations herein provided, 
and the further exception that the com- 
bined maximum rate for all taxes levied 
in any year in any city or other tax dis- 
trict shall not exceed fifteen mills. ' 

"When Tax Levies Exceed 15 Mills, 
University Levy Not Authorized. 

"In its effort to secure economy, the 
legislature, in effect said: 'If you have 
been so unfortunate as to have been com- 
pelled to make emergency levies to re- 
pair roads or bridges destroyed by flood, 
or to combat epidemics, you are in no 
position to add to these burdens a Uni- 
versity levy which will raise your tax 
rate above fifteen mills. Therefore, we 
will not allow you to make a University 
levy under such circumstances.' 



Much criticism obtains, relating to the 
bonds issued by the city for the Wood- 
ville railroad, the Natural Gas project, 
the new market house, and the manner in 
which bonds were issued and used for the 
Cherry Street Bridge. 

But not one of these tax burdens ap- 
proaches in magnitude or ultimate cost, 
in reckless and duplicating waste the 
municipal university adventure. For 
the city of Toledo to build a strap iron 
railroad to Detroit to promote transpor- 
tation of passengers and freight (in view 
of the lines now in operation) would be 
no more idle, than the scheme to burden 
the city with the maintenance of a uni- 
versity in view of the many institutions 
of higher education all around us, easily 
available to duly prepared Toledo stu- 
dents, and to which in one notable in- 
stance in financial support Toledo tax- 
payers largely contribute. 



The Evolution of the Tax Budget For 
the 1917 Fiscal Year. 

July 24, 1916, the Council passed an 
ordinance providing taxation revenues 
for the ensuing year for the several pur- 
poses as follows: 

General Fund $ 64,976.66 

Public Safety 638,290.73 

Public Service 535,624.22 

Public Welfare 216,782.24 

Public Library , 64,432.86 

University .. 143,672.00 

Interest and Sinking Fund.. 1,128,733.00 

Total $2,792,531.71 

August 4, 1916, the Council convened 
(having been advised by the Budget 
Commission that the sum called for was 
excessive under the law) and repealed 
the ordinance of July 24, and enacted a 
new ordinance providing for tax reve- 
nues as follows: 

General Fund $ 65,000.00 

Public Safety 413,120.00 

Public Service 318,880.00 

Public Welfare 129,839.00 

Public Library 54,600.00 

University 143,672.00 

Interest and Sinking Fund.. 1,128,733.00 

Total $2,253,844.00 

The ordinance of August 4, 1916, pro- 
vided for tax revenue for the ensuing 
year in a sum $538,687.71 less than the 
total sum under the ordinance of July 
24, 1916. 

The reductions were made in the sev- 
eral departments as follows : 

General Fund, no reduction ; Public Saf- 
ety, reduction, $225,170.73; Public Ser- 
vice, reduction, $216,744.22 ; Public Wel- 
fare, reduction, $86,943.24 ;. Public Li- 
brary, reduction, $9,832.88 : University, 
no reduction ; Interest and Sinking Fund 
no reduction. 

The law is mandatory that ample pro- 
vision be made to meet the requirements 
of the Interest and Sinking Fund. No 
reduction there, was possible. The Uni- 
versity tax levy is not mandatory. The 
Council could have abated the entire sum. 

Notwithstanding tHe reduction of 
$538,687.71 from the provision made for 
the ensuing year as found in the ordi- 
nance of July 24, 1916, the total sum re- 
maining in the revised ordinance of Au- 



14 



gust 4, 1916, was still in excess of the 
levies that could be awarded by the Bud- 
get Commission, and further reductions 
were necessary. 

Upon full deliberation and repeated 
public hearings the Budget Commission 
made a further reduction in the city tax 
revenues for the 1917 fiscal year and 
made final awards as follows: 

General Fund . $ 50,013.70 

Public Safety .. . 317,871.72 

Public Service 245,359.54 

Public Welfare 99,903.53 

Public Library 42,011.51 

University 143,672.00 

Interest and Sinking Fund.. 1,128,960.00 

Total $2,027,792.00 

The reductions made by the Budget 
Commission from the requirements of the 
city, set forth in the ordinance of Au- 
gust 4th, were $226,278.84 and were 
taken from the several funds as follows : 

General Fund, reduction $14,986.30 

Public Safety, reduction 95,348.12 

Public Service, reduction 73,520.48 

Public Welfare 29,935.47 

Public Library, reduction 12,588.49 

University, no reduction 

Interest and Sinking Fund, no reduction. 

The requirements of the Interest and 
Sinking Fund Department are by statute 
as stated above, a primary lien on the 
annual tax revenue and not subject to 
revision by the Budget Commission. The 
Commission entertained some doubt 
about its authority to deal with the Uni- 
versity appropriation and left the full 
responsibility of such burden with the 
Council. Enough is known of the view 
entertained by the Commission to make 
it safe to say that in its opinion such 
questionable tax burden made on such 
doubtful statutory authority, greatly im- 
paired the force of the contention made 
on behalf of the city that the county 
should give way in its tax requirements 
in order that the city might secure a lar- 
ger levy for its imperative needs. 

The demands of the city for the 1917 
fiscal year as set forth in the ordinance 
of July 24, 1916, were subsequently re- 
duced under the ordinance of August 4, 
1916, and the subsequent action of the 
Budget Commission in the sum of $764,- 
739.71. This reduction was made from 
the following funds : 



By Council. By Budget. Total 
Com. Reduction 
Gen. Fund ....No reduction $14,986 $14,986 
Public Safety.... 225,171 95,248 320,419 
Public Service.. 216,744 73,521 290,265 
Public Welfare 80,493 29,936 110,879 
Public Library.. 9,833 12,589 22,422 

University ..No reduction No reduction 

Int. & S.F....No reduction No reduction 

The requirements of the Interest and 
Sinking Fund Department for larger tax 
revenues to meet the increasing demand 
of maturing bonds, has restricted the 
available funds required in the operation 
of the several departments of the city 
government. This fact goes far to ex- 
plain the financial condition now con- 
fronting the administration. 

This fact must not, however, be per- 
mitted to obscure the important part 
which unwise and needless appropria- 
tions for a questionable university ad- 
venture has played in the creation of 
present conditions. Such appropriations 
to date are in excess of $363,000, or de- 
ducting the award under the ordinance 
of August 4, 1916, still subject to recall, 
the University tax revenues already col- 
lected and expended exceed $220,000. 

Only two cities in the United States 
have ever imposed a tax levy for such a 
purpose, and one of them is laboring un- 
der the same financial embarrassment 
that now obtains in Toledo. 

The Director of Finance. 

The Director of Finance has verified 
and published in the press the subjoined 
data, here reproduced in the following 
closely related paragraphs: 

1. Increase in University appropria- 
tions, from year to year since the first 
appropriation was made : 

1909 Nothing 

1910 $ 2,405.53 

1911 3,748.35 

1912 5.332.23 

1913 16,586.09 

1914 22,080.51 

1915 20,970.69 

1916 (est.) 80,000.00 

1917 (est.) 143,672.00 

(To the above should be added the 

further sums awarded by Council 
through transfer of funds and certificates 
of indebtedness, in amount not less than 
$18,000.00, and sums extorted and with- 
held from the Board of Education in an 
amount not less than $50,000.00. The 



15 



total sum thus secured and set over to 
the University adventure represents 
nearly one-half of the unfun^fcci deficit 
debt of the city or excluding the appro- 
priation of August 4, 1916, more than 
one fourth of such unfunded deficit debt 
now so pressing and in the sum of 
$850,700.) 

2. The annual tax rate in Toledo has 
increased since 1911 and under the' in- 
creased property valuations as follows : 

1912, Fiscal Year 14.0 mills 

1913, Fiscal Year 14.0 mills 

1914, Fiscal Year 14.4 mills 

1915, Fiscal Year 14.2 mills 

1916, Fiscal Year... 15.2 mills 

1917, Fiscal Year 15.8 mills 

3. The Director of Finance has re- 
cently furnished the public with informa- 
tion not before disclosed. He traces the 
now familiar deficit debt of $850,700 as 
follows : 

Created under Whitlock admin- 
istration, 1912-13 $144,288 

Created under Keller adminis- 
tration, 1914-15* 293,712 

Accumulation in the current 
year 412,700 



$850,700 

Says the Director of Finance: 

' ' The city is at this time in such dire 
financial straits, that city departments 
other than the University, especially the 
police, fire and health departments, 
have to be operated for lack of suffici- 
ent revenue, in such a reduced and nig- 
gardly manner as to impair their proper 
scope and efficiency." 

Is it not pertinent to ask why these 
activities should be so impaired in order 
to so liberally support an almost unpre- 
cedented adventure, a pretentions 
school that reaches less than one per 
cent of school population in advance of 
the high school courses? 



*"The above does not show the total 
deficiency of the Keller administration, 
as $282,000 of deficiency bonds were is- 
sued during Keller's incumbency," says 
the Director of Finance. These bonds 
will mature January 1, 1919. The in- 
terest and Sinking Fund Department is 
now making provision for such bonds at 
maturity through annual tax collections. 



FREE COLLEGE COURSES. 

(From The New York Times, Aug. 23, 1916) 

"The Times yesterday contained the an- 
nouncement that more high school pupils 
than usual had proved eligible this year for 
the college scholarships of $100 a year for 
four years granted under the laws of the 
State, and it published the names of the 
pupils from this city to whom scholarships 
had been awarded. The law establishing 
these scholarships was passed by the Legis- 
lature of 1913. It provides that each county 
shall have five scholarships for each as- 
sembly district in it. The Regents were 
directed to make rules governing the award 
and use of the scholarships, the colleges 
which the holders were to attend, etc. The 
law directed the Commissioner of Education 
to prepare annually, in August, a list of all 
pupils in each county who had become en- 
titled to college entrance diplomas, which 
list should show the average standing of the 
pupils; this was the list which The Times 
printed yesterday. 

"There cannot be more than twenty 
scholarships for each assembly district or 
more than 3,000 for the whole State. Per- 
sons entitled to the scholarships are not re- 
stricted as to the choice of the college (pro- 
vided it is within the State), or the course 
of study, except that they may not take pro- 
fessional courses in law, medicine, dentistry, 
veterinary medicine or theology for the pur- 
pose of obtaining a degree." 

In a four year course such pupils receive 
$400 each from the State. This is the New 
York State method in aid of collegiate 
training. 

Ohio has adopted a different and even 
more generous method. In Ohio every 
student completing the four year high school 
course can secure what is practically a free 
scholarship in the Ohio State University, 
having an annual cost value of $250.00, or 
$1,000.00 for a collegiate course of four 
years. The cost of maintaining the State 
institutions of higher education is equally 
distributed over the State, and the property 
and industries of Toledo for the current year 
will contribute to such end not less than 
$100,000. 

"The Municipal University" would have 
the people of Toledo forget this, and employs 
not only a "Publicity Manager" to adver- 
tise the institution but also a "Dean" 
to make a canvas of high school seniors, 
persuading such pupils not to attend 
the Ohio State University nor the near-by 
University of Michigan, where fees are also 
nominal, but like the vendor of a quack 
medicine urging that the amalgamation of 
"professors" in the 50-year-old — at one time 
long abandoned ward school house — fur- 
nishes collegiate training "just as good." 



16 



Numerous Charts and Tables 



Life was strenuous for the "President of 
the municipal university" and the "Deans" 
of his numerous colleges during the eight 
weeks preceding July 24, 1916. It was need- 
ful to duly impress the council or no uni- 
versity tax levy would be forthcoming. 

Dangerous questions had been asked; brief 
and exact answers would not serve; to give 
the names of students, with hours and char- 
acter of work would be full of danger. An- 
other plan was safer. Make numerous 
tables and charts, arranged under a great 
variety of classifications, combining "enroll- 
ment," subjects of study with "semester 
hours," "hours of credit," "total registra- 
tion," "passed," "conditioned," "failed," 
visitors called, "auditors," etc.; thus numeri- 
cally the several persons included in the 
"enrollment" would be continually repeated 
in the numerous tables and charts, making 
in all an imposing array of figures and in- 
dicating to the uncritical magnitude of work. 
(Suppose the elevator service of an office 
building was challenged, and the manager 
should seek to divert attention by publishing 
numerous tables and charts showing the per 
cent of those using the elevators having red 
hair, gray hair, black hair; tables showing 
the per cent of those using the elevator 
wearing beards or closely shaven; or weigh- 
ing under 100 pounds or over 200 pounds, 
and the percentage of each, all compared 
with a percentage of a former year: such 
tables would bear the same relation to the 
question of good elevator service that many 
tables furnished by the university bear to 
the question of a school having value). 

All told, more than 50 of these tables and 
charts were prepared. A comparison of 
figures set forth in these several charts, and 
the checking one with another, disclose many 
interesting facts. Irregular and fractional 
time attendance appears; students enrolled 
in the first term are not found in the second 
term; and students found in the second term 
are not found in the first term; many stu- 
dents attend one class a week, some twice a 
week. Very few, compared with the total 
enrollment, appear to be fairly faithful in 
attendance. On the whole, the tables dis- 
close a floating body of students, with an 
average daily attendance not much exceed- 
ing 10 to 15 per cent of the enrollment. 

These tables and the numerous publica- 
tions and advertisements indicate a "resort 
to methods incompatible with the wisdom 
and dignity which should characterize an in- 
stitution devoted to higher learning. Rigid 



classification is not observed. Students are 
admitted as into a great pasture to graze 
where they please, and as much or as little 
as they please." "The distinction between 
the college and the grammar school is a little 
blurred." 

Small Class Attendance. 

A careful analysis of some of the 
tables secured by the Commerce Club 
committee show that many small classes 
obtain, even as low at times as one or 
two students each, then three, four or 
five. Thus in one department in two 
classes two students appear ; in nine 
classes three students each ; in 16 classes 
five students each. In another depart- 
ment classes of six students, eight stu- 
dents, nine students and ten students are 
found. 

Professor Nearing has two classes in 
the so-called Teachers College; the re- 
ord of one class which meets one time a 
week reads: "Total registration 28, 
passed 16, conditioned 1, failed 2, auditor 
9, total 28. ' ' In the other class, meeting 
one time a week, the record reads : ' * Total 
registration 21, passed 11, failed 2, audi- 
tor 9," total 21. An auditor although 
included in the registration is a transient 
visitor in the classroom and takes no 
part in the exercises. One table gives 
the total numbert of visitors in first 
semester as 47 ; another table for second 
semester as 94, and these visitors or 
"auditors" are always included in 
"total registration." 

In the Arts and Science College, dur- 
ing the first half year, called first semes- 
ter, certain classes met as follows : 20 
classes met one time a week, 12 classes 
two times a week, 19 classes three times. 
During the second half year, called sec- 
ond semester, certain classes met as fol- 
lows: 13 classes one time a week, 13 
classes two times, and 13 classes three 
times. In other departments classes ap- 
pear as follows: 



17 



Total Registration Passed Conditioned Auditor 

Physical Chemistry 110 

Trigonometry 110 

Mechanical Engineering & Drawing 5 2 2 1 

Psychology of Every Day Life 7 2 5 

Story Telling 2 10 1 

Elementary German 3 3 

French - 6 5 1 

Spanish - 5 5 

Foundry 5 4 1 

Mathematics 13 6 7 

Introduction to Modern Problems 3 3 

College Rhetoric 9 9 

The Y. M. C. A. and the Y. W. C. A. In publicity expenses it costs nearly 

gymnasiums have been widely advertised two dollars each for every person who 

in all former bulletins ; students were re- visits the old Illinois Street Ward School 

quired to pay the fee and few visited the building and enrolls or gets caught as an 

gymnasiums. Now with more ample "auditor" in a University class room, 

taxation funds the University pays the Reducing such irregular and transitory 

fee; 21 students patronized the Y. M. attendance to an average daily attend- 

C. A., and 36 the Y. W. C. A. during the ance and the cost exceeds ten dollars 

past year. The city paid $258.00. each. 

No Financial Report Ever Made. n A very considerable part of the 

teaching at the university is not done 

The University publishes no financial by t ^ e advertised professors and 
report, "over it the Council has no con- "deans," but by "cheap labor," em- 
trol." How city taxation funds are ex- p i ovec i at a modest payment by the les- 
pended is a University secret. (All ex- son or hoiir f ser vice. Thus, last year 
penditures of the Ohio State University one man taught 14 hours at $1.50 per 
are annually published by the State and hourj ano ther man taught 39 hours, an- 
in the minutest detail.) The Toledo other 34 hours, both at $1.50 per hour. 
Commerce Club has caused some of the Another teacher served 44 hours and was 
vouchers on file in the City Hall to be pa i d $3 qo per hour. A high school in- 
examined. The following show with s tructor gave 32 lessons in the first half 
what lavish generosity Toledo taxation year? and f our lessons in the second half, 
funds are expended by the new prophets an( j received $2.00 per lesson; the total 
of education: registration in his class was two, and 
Four Bachelor's Hoods at $4.50..$ 18.00 both "passed." 

Diplomas and Ribbons 219.50 One man taught nine "nights" at 

Engraving Introduction 50.00 $2.00 each; another taught 17 "nights" 

Postage Stamps 379.37 at the same rate ; while another man 

Address Plates 16.44 teaching 31 "nights" was paid $2.50 

4000 Bulletins 375.25 each. Ten music lessons were purchased 

10,000 — 4 page Folder 57.37 for $20.00. Twenty names appear as 

8000 — 16 page Folder 44.50 "miscellaneous instructors" with total 

Envelopes for Bulletins 50.17 compensation of $1,650.34. 

Advertising in city papers, etc 312.54 These economies in the teaching staff 

Traveling Exp. of the President.. 148.81 make it possible to reward the men 

Traveling Exp. of two Professors 46.22 higher up more generously, where in 

Rent of bldg. on Cherry street 430.00 several instances the few hours of service 

Rent of Auditorium for Shakes- per week secures a compensation rang- 

peare Plays , 200.00 ing from $20.00 to $25.00 per teaching 

Rent of Hall for Commencement.. 40.00 hour, given to classes of irregular and 

Membership to collegiate societies 20.00 limited attendance. 

Recreational 277.58 In the Bulletin for 1915-16 the names 

18 



of the Professors and Instructors in the 
College of Law occupy an entire page. 
The vouchers found in the city hall in- 
dicate the compensation awarded to Pro- 
fessors of Law in a municipal university. 
For services in 1915 one professor re- 
ceived $4.00, another $21.00; another 
$24.00 ; another $44.00 ; the Dean $60.00 
and $290.00. The total salary expendi- 
ture in the College of Law was $627.00. 

In several tables the Pharmacy College 

"enrollment" is given as 10; in one 

• table the 10 are so arranged and repeated 

under unimportant classification of study 

hours, as to indicate 30. 

But in "Exhibit F, Table 4, Schedule 
11, — Courses taught in the College of 
Pharmacy — 1st semester" class attend- 
ance is shown as follows : Under one pro- 
fessor the total registration was four of 
which three "failed;" under another 
professor the total registration was six 
and six "passed;" under another the 
total registration was six of which three 
' ' passed ' ' and three ' ' failed ' ' and in two 
additional classes, the total registration 
each was six, "passed" three each, 
"failed" one each, and "auditor" two 
each. 

In ' ' Exhibit F, Table 4, Schedule 12 — 
Courses Taught in the College of Phar- 
macy — 2nd semester ' ' class attendance is 
shown as follows : Under one professor 
the total registration was three, "passed" 
three ; under another the total registra- 
tion was four of which three "passed" 
and one ' ' failed ; ' ' under another pro- 
fessor in three subjects, the total regis- 
tration was five each, "passed" three 
each, ' ' conditioned ' ' one each, ' ' auditor ' ' 
one each ; the highest registration under 
an additional professor was eight, where- 
in six "passed," one "failed" and one 
was an "auditor." It will be observed 
that the ' ' auditors ' ' are always included 
in the ' ' total registration. ' ' 

At the close of the year, and on ' ' Com- 
mencement Day," three students in the 
College of Pharmacy were found accept- 
able for Degrees. The problem remains, 
how many students in the Toledo Uni- 
versity College of Pharmacy ? The Presi- 
dent would have us at least think of 10, 
but will the three students who have 
sometimes "passed" and so often 
1 i failed ' ' ever again appear ? Is not the 
pretended College of Pharmacy like the 



pretended College of Medicine, doomed 
to extinction? 

Many tables are so compiled as to in- 
dicate an "enrollment" in "The Col- 
lege of Law" of 51. Other tables and 
other sources of information indicate that 
one half that number would be a liberal 
estimate. 

In "Exhibit F, Table 4, Schedule 9 — 
Courses Taught in the College of Law — 
1st semester," total class registration is 
shown ; the largest total registration was 
23, wherein 11 "passed" and 12 
' ' failed ; ' ' the next largest total registra- 
tion was 21, wherein 15 "passed" and 
six were "conditioned." The total reg- 
istrations in one class was four and four 
' ' passed ; " in another the total registra- 
tion was two and two ' l passed. ' ' 

In "Exhibit F, Table 4, Schedule 10 — 
Courses Taught in the College of Law — 
2nd semester," 17 was the highest total 
registration in any class and all 
' ' passed ; " in another the total registra- 
tion was 13, wherein 10 "passed," two 
were ' ' conditioned ' ' and one ' ' failed. ' ' 

At the close of the year and on Com- 
mencement Day four students were found 
acceptable for the LL. B. Degree 
Problem, how many students can be 
credited to the Municipal College of 
Law? 

In one table a professor is credited 
with "nine hours per week devoted to 
instruction in university classes ; " in an- 
other table a professor is credited with 
eight semester hours with "an average 
number of 11 students in each class. ' ' A 
semester hour is one hour per week for 
half a year, or 18 weeks. 

This table gives the names of 18 pro- 
fessors, giving a total of 220 hours of 
instructions per week. This indicates 
an average of 12 hours per week for each 
of the 18 instructors. Several of the 
teachers having low salaries teach more 
hours than the average, and several pro- 
fessors having a salary "commensurate 
with the dignity of a university profes- 
sor, " teach many hours less than the 
average. These last, however, supple- 
ment their limited teaching duties by 
other university work. One man teach- 
ing less than two hours a day takes on 
the arduous duties of serving as Dean of 
a college having 19 students ; another is 
"Basket Ball Coach" for the university; 
and another "Director of Graduate 



19 



Study" where no graduate students ap- 
pear. One has charge of the annual can- 
vass of senior high school students, im- 
ploring them not to go to the. Ohio State, 
the University of Michigan, or Oberlin, 
but to come to the "municipal univer- 
sity." 

Another labors with the teachers 
in the public schools and explains how 
easy it is to get a degree in the munici- 
pal university, and how the possession of 
a degree is of great value when inter- 
viewing a school board. Another finds 
opportunity to address the many 
Women 's Clubs in the city, urging them 
to take courses in the university explain- 
ing how little time will be required, and 
offering to each of the leaders of the Ed- 
ucational Clubs, publication of their 
names in the annual bulletin "as a Pro- 
fessor in the University." The most 
urgent appeal for support is, however, 
made to the members of the labor unions. 
To these it is shown that the municipal 
university will be a powerful instrument 
to end the domination of the capitalist 
class ; that heretofore university train- 
ing, available only "to the pampered 
sons of the idle rich" had created a 
privileged class. Now for the first time 
university training with all its oppor- 
tunities is to be placed in the hands of 
every man, woman and child without re- 
gard to occupation, preparatory attain- 
ments, or hours of attention. A new era 
in the history of civilization will evolve. 

The Commanding Duty. 

One duty, however, was imposed upon 
every member of every union, that 
was, to visit the councilmen of his ward, 
not once but many times, get all his 
neighbors and friends to visit their coun- 
cilman, not once but many times, and de- 
mand of each councilman at the peril of 
his political career, that the university 
tax levy in whatever sum requested, 
should receive his support. So diligent 
were the university professors, so respon- 
sive the men to whom appeal was made, 
that the university is the one municipal 
function now amply supplied with 
funds. 

This propaganda starts with the pre- 
tense that a great and wide spread de- 
mand obtains for university training, a 
demand that cannot be met except by a 
municipal university. Inasmuch as this 
demand does not exist, the task devolves 
upon the "professors" to create a de- 



mand, and their best energies have been 
devoted to that end. "Education" and 
"University" have proved good words 
to conjure with, and have proved more 
effective with families whose children are 
not found in the city high schools, than 
with families whose children are found 
in the city high schools. Indeed, the 
charm of the municipal university 
propaganda lies in the implication that 
much of the grammar school and all of 
the high school may be dispensed with in 
the acquisition of a university degree. 
(A professor exhibits himself as a living 
example). 

The fact is, that there is no greater 
need of a municipal university in Toledo 
to promote "Education" than there is 
for a municipal steam railway from To- 
ledo to Detroit to promote "Transporta- 
tion." Four steam roads, one electric 
road, and a magnificent water way now 
obtain. Opportunities for transportation 
between these cities are abundant. 

The ' ' professors ' ' in addresses to labor 
unions women 's clubs, school teachers, in 
letters and interviews for the press, 
never mention the public high schools 
and their advanced courses of instruc- 
tion, the State Normal Schools and the 
State University. 



The Director of Finance. 

The director of finance in his heroic 
campaign for the $850,700 deficit bond 
issue, explained the increased cost of the 
city government by reason of advanced 
salaries, and higher prices for materials. 

Illustrations in confirmation of this 
explanation are not wanting. For in- 
stance, under the Whitlock administra- 
tion, municipal university presidents 
were easily secured at $1000 per annum ; 
under the Keller administration the price 
increased to $2000 per annum, and dur- 
ing the past nine months the price ad- 
vanced to $3000 per annum. 

In Cincinnati, the only sister city 
maintaining a municipal university, the 
price for some time has remained station- 
ary at $9,000 per annum. With this im- 
pending advance in municipal expendi- 
tures it is quite evident that the Smith 
one per cent law must be repealed and 
all limitation on municipal taxation re- 
moved. The municipal university will 
furnish on brief notice — ' ' professors ' ' to 
address a public meeting in advocacy of 
the removal of all legislative limitations 
on public taxation. 



20 



Large Faculties of Dummy and Decoy Profes- 
sors. Extravagant and Misleading Bulletins. 
Irregular and Uncertain Attendance. 



The Toledo University (so-called) has 
issued eight General Bulletins (in addi- 
tion to Bulletins of Law and Medicine). 
Each General Bulletin indicating a body 
of work in higher education, that at face 
value would require annually an ex- 
penditure of several hundred thousand 
dollars, and implying a numerous body 
of duly prepared collegiate students in 
attendance. 

The first Bulletin issued September, 
1909, published the names of 39 teachers, 
all with imposing degrees. 
The number under contract, receiving 
some salary, and doing some teach- 
ing, was 7 

Teaching but received no pay 1 

Decoy and dummies under no con- 
tract, receiving no pay and not 
teaching 31 

Total 39 

Bulletin issued September, 1910, in 
like manner indicated extensive and pre- 
tentious collegiate work. 
The number of instructors receiving 

some pay and doing some work was 5 
Decoy and dummies, no work and no 

pay 28 

Total L 33 

Bulletin issued September, 1911, was 
equally extensive and pretentious. 
The number of instructors receiving 

some pay and doing some work 5 

Decoy and dummies, no work and no 

pay 37 

Total 42 

Bulletin issued September, 1912, was 
compiled in like manner. 
Teachers receiving some pay and 

doing some work 7 

Teachers receiving some small pay 

for occasional class work 4 

Decoy and dummies, no pay and no 

work 23 

Total 34 

Bulletin issued in March, 1913, was 
even more pretentious than before. 



Teachers receiving some pay and 

doing some work 7 

Small pay for a little occasional work 4 
Decoy and dummies, no pay and no 
work 21 

Total 32 

The above does not comprise the Law 
and Medical Bulletins. 

In Law the dummies would average 

about 10 

In Medicine, say 25 

In nearly every so-called department 
many persons were published as "Pro- 
fessors ' ' without their knowledge or con- 
sent. 

The Bulletin published in July, 1914, 
announced six colleges, contained 88 
pages with 3 pages of small type devoted 
to the Index wherein each subject was 
restated in changed words several times. 

Thus, tracing down the first page the 
reader reaches the word, "Athletics," 
with reference to pages 34-35 ; turning to 
these pages he learns that "physical edu- 
cation is not required of university 
students, but is strongly advised"; that 
the university has no gvmnasium, but 
the Y. M. C. A. and the Y. W. C. A. 
each have good gymnasiums; that uni- 
versity students, by paying the regular 
fee, may secure the advantages of such 
institutions, and further, "that regular 
gymnasium work will be credited toward 
the degree of A. B. as in other universi- 
ties." 

Following down the Index, — arranged 
in alphabetical order, — the word "Gym- 
nastics," is reached with reference to 
pages 34, 35, and to the same important 
information. In due order "Physical 
Education" is reached with the* same 
reference and the same information. 

In like manner every subject-matter — 
real or imaginary — is restated several 
times, making an Index quite imposing 
to those not familiar with the processes 
by which such pages are made. The 
Index in its alphabetical order indicates 
courses of instruction in "Arabic" wilh 
reference to page 26; "Polish" with 



21 



reference to page 26 ; " Portuguese ' ' with 
reference to page 26. 

The advertised instructors in these 
colleges in number were as follows : 

Arts and Science ! 21 

Industrial College 13 

Law 27 

Pharmacy 5 

Medicine 41 

Total . 107 

The instructors receiving a salary 
doing some work and not otherwise oc- 
cupied, and not duplications, were as 
follows : 

Arts and Science : 8 

Industrial College 2 

Law 1 

Pharmacy 1 

The Graduate College . 

Medicine 

Total 12 

Teachers receiving pay and doing 
some work 12 

Decoy Professors, receiving no pay, 
doing no work 95 

Total 107 

These six colleges, in dignified "uni- 
versity" phraseology were elaborately 
sub-divided into 22 departments, with an 
average of two professors in each "col- 
lege." Seven men serving as professors 
in from two to three so-called colleges. 

It was gravely announced that ' ' Grad- 
uates of other universities of recognized 
standing will be admitted as candidates 
for the degree of Master of Arts and 
Doctor of Philosophy." The "Dean" 
of the "Graduate College" was instruc- 
tor in the "Department of English" in 
"The College of Arts and Science." 

The former 19 students in the Medical 
Department had withdrawn, and that de- 
partment, for want of students, had been 
abandoned. During the preceding year, 
of the 12 paid instructors 5 resigned and 
5 new men were employed. The Indus- 
trial College, in the former year, had 
three regular students reported in at- 
tendance. 

In November, 1914, a special Bulletin 
for the Industrial College was issued 
with a further appeal for evening 
students in bookkeeping, typewriting and 
stenography, and in sharp competition 



with the work of the evening High 
Schools, the Y. M. C. A., and the several 
privately owned Commercial Schools. 
To draw students from such schools a 
cut rate fee was advertised of "one dol- 
lar per semester hour of credit" with 
the further inducement that if the 
student would not quit after a few weeks, 
but would stick it out to the end of the 
term — semester is the university word — 
the dollar would be returned, thus 
"virtually making the work absolutely 
free. ' ' 

One hundred and twelve students 
were thus secured who stayed on the 
average in evening sessions two evenings 
a week for, say three months, and the 
much advertised University Enrollment 
was augmented by one hundred and 
twelve. 

In the Bulletin for 1915-16 allusions to 
' ' Majors ' ' and ' ' Minors ' ' less frequently 
appeared, and greater emphasis was 
given to the concept of a municipal uni- 
versity — the words, "The Municipal 
University of Toledo, Ohio," were 
printed in bold type at the head of each 
alternate page. 

The College of Medicine, heretofore so 
conspicuously advertised, was remanded 
to one page with the gentle intimation 
that it was not dead but sleeping, — to be 
awakened at a later day. No allusion 
was made to its inconsequental career 
and its extinction under the pressure of 
the American Medical Association and 
State Medical Board. The number of 
professors with employment and salaries 
was increased, and the number of decoy 
professors as heretofore published with 
no pay and no work was restricted. 

Twenty professors now served with 
contractual employment and compensa- 
tion. Six men, as advertised, served as 
' 'Deans ' ' in six colleges — one teaching in 
five colleges, two teaching in four col- 
leges, one teaching in three colleges. 
Three "Professors" as advertised, teach 
in three colleges, seven in two colleges, 
and eight in one college. Their names 
are so frequently repeated in the several 
faculties, giving to each of the six facul- 
ties such an imposing array of profes- 
sors that the uncritical reader is expected 
to be duly impressed with the magnitude 
of the professional staff. As in all for- 
mer bulletins, several new names appear, 
and many former employees have gone. 



22 



The difficulty in retaining competent and 
self-respecting men in such an institu- 
tion is great. 

Of the 20 instructors found on the 
pay-roll for the last half year, the names 
of 6 do not appear in the bulletin for the 
1915-16 current school year, and 3 recent 
retirements have been announced. 

Of the 12 paid instructors whose names 
appeared in the bulletin for the 1914-15 
school year all have withdrawn save 6, 
indicating a floating body of teachers, as 
well as a floating body of students — 
students of all ages and attainments and 
all degrees of irregularity of attendance. 

A Record of Class Attendance. 

A German Professor, widely adver- 
tised by the Toledo University as a 
student from a famous German Uni- 
versity, accepted employment during the 
1912-13 school year. He resigned at the 
end of his first year. He left as his 
legacy to Toledo a record of attendance 
in his several university classes, includ- 
ing names and grade of work : 

The total enrollment in three classes 
was thirty-two, as shown by this record. 

Of the 5 men, one took no lesson, one 
took 4 lessons, one took 19 lessons. 

Of the seven married women, one took 
3 lessons, one took 5 lessons, one took 15 
lessons and one 17 lessons. 

Of the 21 unmarried women one took 1 
lesson, three took 5 lessons and two took 
7 lessons each. 

In the above three classes for the en- 
tire school year the attendance on th.3 
several class periods was as follows : 

On 22 class periods no pupils ap- 
peared. 

On 18 class periods one pupil ap- 
peared. 

On 33 class periods two pupils ap- 
peared. 

On 23 class periods three pupils ap- 
peared. 

On 17 class periods four pupils ap- 
peared. 



On 6 class periods five pupils ap- 
peared. 

On 6 class periods six pupils ap- 
peared. 

On 2 class periods seven pupils ap- 
peared. 

On 6 class periods eight pupils ap- 
peared. 

On 3 class periods nine pupils ap- 
peared. 

On 7 class periods twelve pupils ap- 
peared. 

The total enrollment in an additional 
two classes was eleven. In these two 
classes for the entire school year the at- 
tendance on the several class periods was 
as follows : 

On 4 class periods no pupils appeared. 

On 9 class periods one pupil appeared. 

On 25 class periods two pupils ap- 
peared. 

On 47 class periods three pupils ap- 
peared. 

On 30 class periods four pupils ap- 
peared. 

. On 7 class periods five pupils ap- 
peared. 

On 1 class period six pupils appeared. 

The total enrollment in still an addi- 
tional two classes was fifteen. In these 
two classes the attendance for the entire 
school year on the several class periods 
was as follows : 

On 19 class periods one pupil ap- 
peared. 

On 3 class periods two pupils ap- 
peared. 

On 8 class periods three pupils ap- 
peared. 

On 1 class period four pupils ap- 
peared. 

On 5 class periods five pupils ap- 
peared. 

On 3 class periods six pupils appeared. 

On 3 class periods seven pupils ap- 
peared. 

Of students in the above seven classes 
53 attended but one class, and 6 attended 
two classes. 

So far as can be determined the same 
uncertain and irregular attendance con- 
tinues and obtained during the 1915-16 
school year. 



23 



Average Daily Attendance. 

In reputable and well seasoned insti- 
tutions of higher education the average 
daily attendance much exceeds 95 per 
cent of the students belonging to the 
schools. 

The average daily attendance in first 
grade high schools reaches from 90 to 
97 per cent of the students belonging to 
the schools. 

The Director of Finance asked the 
President of the pretentious Toledo uni- 
versity in writing as follows : ' ' What 
was the average daily attendance of 
students during the last college year?" 

And this was the reply in writing: 

[The claimed enrollment was 870, and 
later increased to 912] "Our daily at- 
tendance during the last year varied 
from approximately 150 to 250 or 300 
students. This is as close a figure as 
can be given on account of the charac- 
ter of the university work." This was 
no answer to the question asked and the 
information sought. 

Evidently the President was unable 
or unwilling to answer; the "approxi- 
mate 150" may represent four days in 
the week and the like approximate 250 
or 300 may represent one day, a week or 
month. 

The Commission of Publicity and 
Efficiency and the Commerce Club com- 
mittee both credited the average enroll- 
ment of 625 with an average attendance 
of one hour a day. Reducing this to a 
daily required attendance of 3.6 hours 
(the lowest found in advanced schools) 
and the average attendance becomes 
174, with a per capita cost of $299.00; 
reduced to the required attendance of 
four hours per day, and the average at- 
tendance becomes 156 with a per capita 
cost of $327.00. If we accept the work- 
ing hours of the larger number of ad- 
vanced schools — five hours a day — and 
the average daily attendance becomes 
125 with a per capita cost of $416.00. 

It is confidently believed that the 
average number of people daily enter- 
ing "the portals of the university" in- 
cluding "deans" and "professors" 
does not exceed one hundred and 
twenty-five, and less than 15 per cent of 
the much advertised enrollment. 



Municipal University Teaching. 

If the instruction in Sociology, 
Economics and Psychology given "at 
the university" is as defective and in- 
accurate as the instruction furnished 
council members on municipal finance 
and interpretation state legislation, the 
occasional and transitory lecture goers 
at that shrine of learning may well 
pause. 

In the Faculty assigned to the in- 
struction of councilmen, the following 
blunders have been committed : 

1. The insistance that a tax for "the 
university" can be lawfully levied, not- 
withstanding the aggregate of other 
levies far exceed 15 mills. Such is not 
the case. 

2. The insistance that the title of the 
city to the 160 acre tract — the gift of 
Jesup W. Scott — will be lost by forfeit 
ure, unless a tax for "the university" is 
imposed. There is not a shred of truth 
in this contention. 

3. The insistance that tax funds 
awarded to one department may, under 
the superior wisdom of such depart- 
ment, be expended to aid, direct and 
manage other city departments. There 
is not a s'hred of truth in this conten- 
tion. 

Other grave errors of "municipal 
university" teaching could be enumer- 
ated. 



LAW SCHOOL REVOLTS 

"Students of the law college of the Toledo 
university have agreed to serve all connec- 
tions with the university. They will either 
organize an idependent law school or attend 
other universities. 

"A meeting of the students will be held 
on Thursday night to decide whether the in- 
dependent school shall be organized and 
what course shall be adopted." 

—Toledo Blade, September 20, 1915. 

PARENTAL SOLICITUDE 

It is an interesting fact, deeply significant 
to many, and indicating not only ripe judg- 
ment, but parental solicitude, that no munic- 
ipal university director has permitted his 
children to attend the so-called Toledo Uni- 
versity. Their sons and daughters, after 
completing the work of the city high schools, 
have been directed to Ann Arbor, Oberlin, 
Ohio State and other collegiate institutions 
of good repute. 



24 



Two Erroneous Assumptions ! 



The argument for a city university 
rests upon two erroneous assumptions, 
continually urged upon public attention. 
These are, first: that in Toledo a great 
number of persons are thirsting for uni- 
versity education who will be deprived 
therefrom unless a city university is 
built up for their use; and second, that 
a most desirable end will be reached — 
justifying a large expenditure — when all 
Toledo students in higher education shall 
remain in a local institution and forego 
the rich possibilities so conveniently at 
hand in our great state universities. 
These assumptions are essentially and 
absolutely untrue. 

There does not exist in all Toledo a 
student — having completed with credit 
the full high school course of instruction 
— who is unable to attend some one of 
the nearby institutions of higher educa- 
tion if he so desires, and has the energy 
which a collegiate student should possess. 
The contention that there is in Toledo a 
large body of competent students unable 
to do this is a fiction of the imagination. 

The students who have completede the 
full work of our Toledo high schools 
comprise the most favored group of per- 
sons in all the city; they have received 
many years of advanced education un- 
der the most favorable auspices ; they 
have seen hundreds and hundreds of 
their earlier classmates faU out of the 
race — some from ill health, some from 
the love of other pursuits, some from the 
necessitv of earning a livelihood, but the 
high school graduate has been able to 
continue to the end, and has enjoyed 12 
to 14 vears of free education — a privilege 
that has not come to 90 per cent of the 
school children of the city who started 
with him in the race. These favored 
students are now able to stand on their 
own feet with the motto, "give the other 
fellow a chance." Thev do not ask that 
a home university be created for them 
at public charge. If they could answer 
in person, they would say with one voice, 



"give consideration to those who most 
need help ; to the fullest limit, augment 
the mothers' pension fund — that more 
children may be removed from the blight 
of child labor occupations ; restore to 
the public library its former annual rev- 
enues ; aid with the freest hand the board 
of education that half day sessions may 
no longer obtain ; that ample school 
buildings be erected in every ward as 
need shall appear; against these de- 
mands we are not applicants for your 
charity. ' ' 

Three hundred and eighteen students 
— men and women — were graduated 
from our two high schools in June, 1916. 
The number equally prepared in private 
schools is not known, but the number 
was not large. The number prepared 
for university work may be estimated 
at 350. More than one-half of these 
do not care to prolong their school days ; 
occupations of various kinds invite them ; 
a desire to enter innr-di^tery upon the 
affairs of life commands them. We have 
then less than 150 persons in all the city 
of Toledo to consider. Some 35 of these 
students will go to Ann Arbor, approxi- 
mately a like number will enter the Ohio 
State University ; many will go to Ober- 
lin. A large number of young women 
will seek the opportunities of Smith, 
Vassar, Holyoke. Wellesley. A few men 
will enter Cornell, Harvard or Yale, and 
a few will enter the several denomina- 
tional colleges in this state. 

The opportunities for higher educa- 
tion are abundant in our own State Uni- 
versity, and in f e nearby University of 
Michigan. It would require the entire 
revenue of our public school system to 
build up, and maintain, an institution 
comparable to either of these. 



State Auditor Donahey will say in his 
forthcoming report: 

"Already out of every dollar received 
by the schools from the County Treas- 
ury, twenty ner cent is mortsrasred and 
must be used to retire bonds and pay 
interest. This leaves only eisrhty cents 
out of each dollar of school taxes that is 
available for the actual maintenance of 
our public schools.' ' 



25 



The Vision of the Municipal University. 

Early in 1915 the vision of a rejuvi- 
nated and reordered city under the 
guidance of municipal university learn- 
ing and the latest occult and philosophic 
speculations took form. Psychology, 
Sociology and Economics were to be the 
guiding stars. In the promotion of this 
vision, certain city officials were to be 
promoted to the University faculty. 
The new bulletin was made to say : 
"The City Librarian has become the 
University Librarian and Professor of 
Library Science, and the Cataloguer of 
the public library has become the Cata- 
loguer of the university library, and in- 
structors of library science. (The uni- 
versity library is unimportant and sur- 
passed by scores and scores of private 
libraries in the city. The services of a 
cataloger one day in the year would 
suffice). Communications were immedi- 
ately sent to the press in a distant city, 
one — widely read in Toledo — gave a 
vivid story of the wonderful uplift in 
public library management by reason 
of its new association and relation with 
the Municipal University. This proved 
good copy for the local papers. The 
further announcemnt was made that the 
health officer would be advanced to the 
rank of University Professor. Now the 
health of the city could be raised to first 
rank in diagramed statistics. Bacteria 
in all its varied and malign forms was 
to retire abashed and humiliated in the 
unequal struggle with a municipal uni- 
versity professor. 

The children in the public play 
graunds were to be furnished with Uni- 
versity supervision and direction. "Uni- 
versity students would supervise the 
frames and activities in the city play 
grounds and under the direction of the 
play ground experts, University credits 
will be given for the work." Indeed, so 
closely interrelated was the municipal 
university to become to all conditions of 
civic life that no citizen — old or young 
— learned or unlearned — at some stage 
of activity could escape "university 
credits." 

During the vacation following the 
new municipal university president at- 
tended two conventions devoted to edu- 
cational work — one in Boston — one in 
New York City. In each the courtesy of 



the platform was secured, and the new 
gospel of the municipal university pro- 
claimed. The municipal university was 
no longer an experiment, but an ac- 
complished fact illustrated in the City 
of Toledo. A reporter of the convention 
in a Boston paper said : ' ' The Toledo 
University is the youngest of the few 
municipal universities in the United 
States. It connects its educational 
equipment with every phase of munici- 
pal life. It was from experience in the 
work that President Stowe spoke." 

In New York City a like gospel was 
preached with a like emphasis upon ac- 
complished results. An accomplished 
fact in an educational convention is sure 
to secure attention, and so emphatically 
were the accomplished results set forth 
by the Toledo Municipal University 
President, that a professor in Columbia 
University said : ' l Such work as is car- 
ried on by Toledo University would 
justify the establishment of municipal 
universities." Ample use has been 
made in local consumption of words of 
commendation so secured. The story 
told by the President was a concept of 
the imagination and had no basis in fact. 

A survey in Toledo fails to find any 
department of the city conscious of hav- 
ing been influenced by the university in 
its administrative work. The children 
in the play grounds still play as before 
unconscious of university supervision or 
"University credits." The city librar- 
ian appointed to a professorship without 
his knowledge or consent declined to 
serve the university. The Library Board 
after brief experience, has disolved all 
alliance with "the university," giving 
instruction to the president and faculty 
members that their relation to the Pub- 
lic Library was that of any citizen of 
the city, but not more direct. 

The City Commissioner of Engineer- 
ins" and Construction has declined all 
affiliation with the pretentious services 
tendered, preferring to conduct his 
"tests" under conditions wherein the 
results would have value. 

The able physician — the chief execu- 
tive officer of the city health depart- 
ment — still labors to improve the health 
conditions of the city as best he may 
with the limited means placed at his 
disposal. 



26 



The University Public Service Bureau. 

Here a "Professor," who has mas- 
tered the index of the Encyclopedia 
Britannica, and certain related books, 
plus the latest speculations in Sociology, 
Economics and Psychology, sits at a 
desk under a sign reading "University 
Public Service Bureau," prepared to 
tell every city official from the Mayor 
to the Sergeant-at-Arms, what to think 
and what infalible opinion to hold upon 
every subect from the quality of paving 
brick to "the latest concepts of God." 
This is a luxury which only cities, con- 
fronted with a million a?id a half deficit 
debt can afford. 



THE DEGREE FETISH. 

Professor William James, of Harvard, 
commenting on the fetish of the higher col- 
legiate degrees, said: "It is no wonder if 
smaller institutions, unable to attract pro- 
fessors already eminent, and forced usually 
to recruit their faculties from the relatively 
young, should hope to compensate for the 
obscurity of the names of their officers of 
instruction by the abundance of decorative 
titles by which those names are followed 
on the pages of the catalogues where they 
appear. The dazzled reader of the list, the 
parent or student, says to himself, 'This 
must be a terribly distinguished crowd — 
their titles shine like the stars in the firma- 
ment; Ph. D.'s, S. D.'s, Litt. D.'s bespangle 
the page as if they were sprinkled over it 
from a pepper castor.' 

"Human nature is once for all so childish 
that every reality becomes a sham some- 
where, and in the minds of presidents and 
trustees the Ph. D. degree is in point of fact 
already looked upon as a mere advertising 
resource, a manner of throwing dust in the 
public's eyes. In reality it is but a sham, a 
bauble, a dodge, whereby to decorate the 
catalogues of schools and colleges." 

A writer in The Forum (Leonard Woolsey 
Bpcon) further adds: 

"Anybody that wants one (a degree) can 
have it for the most trifling trouble and ex- 
pense, or even without expense. No condi- 
tion of learning or culture, or even of 
superior intelligence, is requisite. Every 
editor whose duty it is to feed the waste- 
basket with worthless manuscript knows 
what illiterate blockheads parade the most 
impressive capital letters after their names, 
by unimpeachable authority. Every one that 
wants an honorary degree can have it; and 
people that do not want it, to whom it is 
nothing but an annoyance, as seeming to 
imply that they belong to a class of men 
who are tickled with such compliments, have 
to endure it under the alternative of making 
an unnecessary fuss in the newspapers over 
a triflle. So that between the people that 
want it, and the people that have to take it. 
it comes to pass that a heavy percentage of 
the population of America are decorated 
with home-made honorary degrees." 



THE OHIO LEGISLATION DEFINI- 
TION OF A MUNICIPAL 
UNIVERSITY. 

No tax revenues can be awarded to an 
university except as it complies with the 
following statutory definition of an uni- 
versity, (taken from the Encyclopedia of 
English and American Law). Section 
7905 of the General Code defines a 
municipal university as follows : 

' A University supported in whole or 
in part by municipal taxation, is defined 
as an assemblage of colleges, united 
under one organization or management, 
affording instruction in the arts, sciences 
and the learned professions, and confer- 
ring degrees. ' ' 

Section 7903 of the General Code con- 
tains the following further provision: 

<<# # # such taxes shall only be 
levied and assessed when the chief work 
of such university, college or institution 
is the maintenance of courses of instruc- 
tion in advance of, or supplementary to, 
the instruction to be maintained in high 
schools by boards of education." 

The so-called Wedo University has 
never been able to meet in good faith the 
requirements of the statutes named above 
— a condition precedent to the imposi- 
tion of university taxation. 

The Toledo Association of College 
Women. 

In 1914 the Toledo Association of Col- 
lege Women prepared a report on Col- 
leges, "the object of which was to help 
the girls of Toledo to select the school 
that will give them the educational ad- 
vantage they desire." 

This report included valuable in- 
formation relating to the leading Col- 
leges for Women — Smith, Vassar, Wel- 
lesley, Mt, Holyyoke, Radeliffe, Bryn 
Mawr, Teachers' Colleve. Barnard, Col- 
lege for Women in Cleveland, etc. Also 
equal prominence was given to the lead- 
ing co-educational colleges — University 
of Michigan. Ohio State, Oberlin, Ohio 
Wesleyan, University of Chicago, Uni- 
versity of Wisconsin, etc. 

At that date the association com- 
prised' more than 100 members — Uni- 
versity of Michigan 23, Ohio State 10, 
Oberlin 11, Vassar 13, Smith 8, Wells 6, 
Wellesley 5, etc. 

It is of interest to note that in this 
report no mention was made of the so- 
called Toledo University. 



27 



No University Referendum Permitted. 

The new city charter in force since 
January 1st last, provides that "every 
ordinance passed by the council shall be 
subject to the referendum" on certain 
conditions taken within thirty days, by 
the electors. Had the university tax 
levy of $143,672 been made under a sepa- 
rate ordinance as in 1915, a referendum 
as provided in the new city charter would 
have followed and the whole question re- 
manded to the people, to be rejected by 
an overwhelming vote. How was such a 
referendum avoided ? In this way : the 
university levy, increased from $80,000 
to $143,672 — was no longer made under 
a separate ordinance as last year, but 
( although for a department ' ' over which 
the city has no control") was commin- 
gled with levies providing for all city 
functions. This ordinance was then 
taken out of the referendum provision of 
the city charter by the declaration grave- 
ly set forth in the ordinance "that an 
emergency exists in that the immediate 
preservation of the public peace, health, 
safety and property, require that this 
ordinance be enacted as an emergency 
measure, and go into immediate effect," 
and therefore not subject to a referen- 
dum, and a vote by the people. 

That this emergency clause was a de- 
vice suggested perhaps by the univer- 
sity, is amply in evidence in the fact that 
fourteen days later the council convened 
under a special call, and determined that 
on the 24th ult. no emergency did exist, 
and repealed the ordinance then enacted. 
The council then discovered that another 
emergency existed, and after reducing 
the levies of all the departments of the 
city government save the university — 
from 15 to 60 per cent and still advanc- 
ing the university nearly 100 per cent 
over the enormous sum of last year, and 
in the sum of $143,672, again enacted an 
ordinance removed from the referendum 
section of the city charter. 

Law Schools. 

An effort is being made by the Carne- 
gie Foundation to throw some light on 
the numerous Schools of Law in the 
United States. 



' ' We do hope by proceeding slowly and 
inviting comment and advice from many 
different sources to make a few fruitful 
clearings among the dead wood and 
tangled growth with which the field is at 
present encumbered." says the prelimi- 
nary report 

As an illustration of the difficulty in 
determining what is a law school, and 
what is not a law school, the report adds : 

' ' Moribund institutions have been dis- 
posed of (in accordance with the most 
approved modern theories of legal edu- 
cation) not upon any preconceived plan, 
but as the exegencies of the individual 
case seem to demand. Thus to cite a 
typical close decision, the Minneapolis 
College of Law, which has an independ- 
ent charter and a brass door plate but no 
students and no apparent expectation or 
likelihood of obtaining any is considered 
as defunct. On the other hand, the 
school of law of Angola, Indiana, which 
has neither charter, door plate, nor 
students, but does have four pages in the 
annual catalogue of Tri-State Colleges, is 
classified as alive. Experts in the 'Case 
method' will doubtless be able from this 
statement of fact 'to extract the prin- 
cipal. ' " In this report the Law School of 
the Toledo University is also classified as 
alive, and giving Toledo more Law 
Schools than any other city in the United 
States of like population, and one-fourth 
in number of all the Law Schools in Ohio. 

That the legal profession in Toledo, 
fas in nearly every other city in the 
United States) is over crowded will be 
admitted by everyone who has given the 
matter serious thought. (See the address 
of Hon. Elihu Root before the American 
Bar Association at its annual meeting 
held in Chicago, August 29-30, 1916). 

Toledo with its deficit debt of $850,- 
700 and impaired administration service, 
now on bended knee before the banks of 
the city imploring aid to meet the 
rapidly maturing certificates of indebt- 
edness, is the only city in the United 
States maintaining a municipal college 
of Law and this school like the school of 
Pharmacy (also the only municipal col- 
lege of Pharmacy in the United States) 
is maintained, not to supply any legiti- 
mate educational or professional de- 
mand, but to better make the pretense of 
complying with the statutory definition 
of a municipal university. 



28 



Is This a 



Good Reason for 
University? 



a Municipal 



No survey of a Municipal University adventure would be complete which 
did not present the municipal university point of view and the arguments in its 
behalf. These have been given with great fullness in many letters and inter- 
views furnished the press. Two recent letters are so typical of the general trend, 
that excerpts therefrom are given below : 



One of these letters is from a Pro- 
fessor and Dean, full of enthusiasm for 
his new work, published in The Toledo 
Times January 31, 1915. His name like 
so many "professors" appears only in 
one Bulletin. He said: 

University Training When Acquired In 
Home Town More Valuable. 

"If this future citizen is to be a cit- 
izen of Ohio, he ought to attend an Ohio 
college or university, and if he is to be 
a citizen of either Cincinnati, Toledo or 
Akron, he would come out better fitted 
for his work if he attended his Munici- 
pal University, for just as it is impos- 
sible for Ohio State University to train 
boys from Kansas for a successful 
career in Kansas, as well as the Univer- 
sity of Kansas, so it is impossible for 
any institution to train students for suc- 
cess in any city as well as the institution 
located in that city. ' ' He further adds : 

A Municipal University a Source of 
Profit; a Municipal Asset. 

"When the enrollment reaches the 

2,000 mark there will be at least 

1,000 students from out of the city. 
The average yearly cost of a college 
education is $400.00, that would mean 
that Toledo university would bring to 
the city every year in round numbers 
$400,000." 



"Dorothy Marbury" having listened 
to a fervid university lecture, berating 
the council for not taking more prompt 
action in awarding a municipal univer- 
sity tax levy, became so aroused that 
she made appeal to the general public 
through an open letter to the Toledo 
Blade July 11, 1916. Her letter evi- 
dently reflected much of the "univer- 
sity" lecture to which she had listened. 
Some excerpts follow. 



The Municipal University the Only Ave- 
nue to an Education for Those Who Do 
Not Complete the Grammar School or 
Reach the High School. 

"In regard to the Toledo University, 
it is estimated that about 85 out of every 
100 of the city's children never enter 
high school, and out of the 15 who do, 
one in every 100 enters college. The 
great majority of those 85 per cent are 
the children of working people and 
leave school to help support themselves 
and their brothers and sisters and so 
become taxpayers of this city. 

"Do these working people lose all de- 
sire for an education because they are 
working people? Is all opportunity for 
educational advantages to be denied 
them?" 

The High Cost of Yale and Wellesley 
and the Insistance "Upon That Mid- 
dle Link the High School Diploma" 
Detrimental to True Democracy. 

"Will they ever be able to save 
money enough to enter Yale, or Welles- 
ley, and if they finally had the money 
could they enter college without THAT 
MIDDLE LINK, THE HIGH SCHOOL 
DIPLOMA? 

"Then all hope of advancement, all 
hope of growth and development, is 
dead and gone to this great mass of our 
people if the Toledo University is 
closed." 

Only at the Evening Lectures at the To- 
ledo University are "Rounded Out, 
Well Informed, Useful Citizens" 
Secured. 

"For there any man or woman may 
spend his or her evenings in becoming 
a rounded out, well informed, useful 
citizen. Then, why should the uni- 
versity be denied its levy, and why 
should the knockers be those who can 
send their children to $l,000-a-year 
schools outside of Toledo? 



29 



"Who are the people who are knock- 
ing the university levy? Is it the great 
mass of the people who are paying the 
majority of taxes, or is it those who can 
afford to send their children, or who 
can themselves go out of the city for 
the sacred right of every person — an 
education? ' ' 

"The mass of the people represented 
by the Central Labor union demand the 
levy for the university. Then why this 
delay? 

"Let us have education by the peo- 
ple, of the people, for the people — such 
as is offered in the Toledo University, 
and know that those who would throttle 
the voice of education are enemies to 
freedom and intelligent citizenship." 

The statement made above relating 
to school attendance is gravely inac- 
curate. 

The facts are, in Toledo, out of one 
hundred children found in the first 
grade for the first time and surviving 
death or removal from the city, approxi- 
mately 40 enter the high schools; 12 
graduate from the high school and 5 
enter college. To every high school 
graduate is offered a free scholarship in 
the Ohio State University or State 
Normal College by the city in co-opera- 
tion with the state, and the "bogy" of 
a $1,000 school does not exist. To the 
"Dorothy Marburys" and municipal 
university professors, facts are too 
plebean to engage attention. 

Much of the value of university training 
to the young man or woman arises from a 
residence amid new surroundings, in contact 
with a larger outlook on life, made possible 
by acquaintance with new men with large 
attainment, and in new and well chosen en- 
vironment, such as the great and well-sus- 
tained state or endowed universities furnish. 

This fact has ever been recognized by 
educators of large experience. The late 
James B. Angell — for forty years President 
of the University of Michigan — in almost his 
latest public address said: 

"The most important educational force 
on the campus is the opportunity for meet- 
ing and knowing men; the mind and charac- 
ter of students receive as deep and abiding 
impressions from mixing with one another 
as they do from classroom experience." 

Everyone knows — who has given attention 
to the. cost of higher education in reputable 
schools — that the cost of university training 
runs from $200 to $300 annually above 
tuition fees. The Alumni of the "Ohio State" 
petitioned the recent state legislature that 
the appropriation for the "Ohio State" 
should be based upon an estimate of $250 per 



capita for all student in attendance; that is, 
that each student was a state liability to the 
extent of $250 annually and estimates should 
be based on that fact. 

The recent survey of the University of 
Wisconsin found the annual cost to the State 
for each student in attendance to be $285. 

In addition to this inaccurate presentation 
there is a moral aspect not to be overlooked. 
Is it right for the city of Toledo to spend 
large sums annually to allure young men and 
women of Northwestern Ohio from the State 
University, the University of Michigan, 
Oberlin, Kenyon or Ohio Wesleyan; to sac- 
rifice all the great advantages of these in- 
stitutions, to secure attendance to the in- 
adequate Toledo school and in order that a 
few boarding houses may be set up in our 
midst? Instead of encouraging attendance 
to the great institution all about us and 
making the path of our own students easy, 
the city is asked at the cost of the public 
school system to interpose obstacles in se- 
curing the opportunities obtainable from 
millions of state and endowment appropria- 
tions. 



The United States Commissioner of 
Education in his 1912 annual report 
said: 

"Small reason exists for a State to 
continue indefinitely the attempt to build 
up a strong high school in every good 
sized town or county, and at the same 
time to subsidize colleges which receive a 
large number of their students from the 
first, second, or third year of the high 
school to continue secondary work in the 
college. ' ' 



1 ■ There can be no mistake in believing 
that the people of several of the Com- 
monwealths have definitely decided that 
waste, overlapping and unwholesome 
competition shall cease." 



"More and more people every day, 
are emulating the religious denomina- 
tions which recently studied its twenty- 
eighth educational institutions with the 
most minute care, and then regretfully 
decided that eighteen of them were with- 
out promise, concentrated its support 
upon the remaining ten." — Education 
Magazine, January 1910. 



Deception, Pretense and Pride. 

A story is current of two school girls 
of high school age, engaged in a sharp 
contest of words. At the climax of the 
contention, one scornfully said to the 
other, ' ' You go to an old high school. I 
go to an university." So is taught "by 
the use of that high sounding name, les- 
sons in deception, pretense and pride. ' ' 



30 



The Smith One Per Cent Law 



The Toledo City Journal and the Com- 
merce Club News have each published in 
full the body of legislation known as the 
Smith one per cent law. In so doing 
wider attention has been drawn to the 
fact that this law confers upon cities 
larger powers of taxation and increase 
of municipal revenue than has generally 
been understood. 

Section 5649-5 of the G. C. provides 
that the council of any municipality may 
at any time by a majority vote of all 
members elected, declare by resolution 
that the amount of taxes that may be 
raised, by the levy of taxes at the maxi- 
mum rate (that is within the 10 mill 
limit), will be insufficient, and that it 
will be expedient to levy taxes at a rate 
in excess (of the 10 mill limit.) * * * 
Such resolution shall specify the amount 
of the proposed increase of rate above 
the 10 mill limit but such increase shall 
not be in excess of 15 mills. 

Section 5649-5a of the G. C. provides, 
that such proposition shall be submitted 
to the electors of such taxing district at 
the November election that occurs more 
than twenty days after the adoption of 
such resolution. 

Section 5649-5b of the G. C. provides, 
that if a majority of the electors voting 
thereon at such election, vote in favor 
thereof, it shall be lawful to levy taxes 
within such taxing district, at a rate not 
to exceed such increased rate provided 
for in such resolution, and not in excess 
of a period of five years, and in no case 
shall the combined taxes levied in any 
year exceed 15 mills. 

Many taxing districts in Ohio have 
availed themselves of the provisions set 
forth above — notably Cincinnati and 
several taxing districts in Hamilton 
county. The auditor of that county has 
repeatedly held open his tax duplicate 
till after the November election, in order 
to include the increased levies authorized 
by the electors at such November elec- 
tion. 

Had Toledo followed the example of 
Cincinnati and many taxing districts in 
the state, the annual tax revenues would 
have been so increased as to largely re- 
lieve the city from the financial embar- 
rassment that now confronts it. 



No Legislative Authority for an Univer- 
sity Tax. 

We now know through the partial sur- 
vey already made that the university tax 
is a direct infringement on the tax reve- 
nues so imperatively needed by the city 
in the discharge of its civic functions. 

The further evidence is now at hand 
that such levy by the clear and specific 
words of the statute, cannot be made in 
Toledo, and the attempt so to do is with- 
out legislative authority. 

We dow know how groundless is the 
contention so persistently made by the 
university officers that the city for ad- 
ministrative purposes is arbitrarily lim- 
ited to a 10 mill revenue, and the door 
left wide open for a university levy — for 
a department ' ' over which the city has no 
control. ' ' 

We now know that levies outside of 
the 10 mills may be imposed for adminis- 
trative purposes with the approval of the 
electors, while the act under which a uni- 
versity levy can be considered, specific- 
ally prohibits its exercise where tax rates 
for all purposes accumulate in excess of 

15 mills as is now the case^ in Toledo. 
The Commission of Publicity and Effi- 
ciency, and the Efficiency Committee of 
the Commerce Club sought legal advice 
in the course of their investigations. An 
opinion furnished by a group of able 
lawyers holds, that under the high tax 
rate that now obtains in Toledo, (nearly 

16 mills) no levy for a municipal univer- 
sity can be made. 

The legal opinion in part reads : 
"The Smith One Percent Law pro- 
vides that not more than 15 mills on the 
dollar may be levied in any taxing dis- 
trict. Certain emergency taxes for re- 
placement of buildings destroyed by 
fire, rebuilding of roads destroyed by 
floods, for certain road repairs, and to 
combat epidemics, may be levied in ex- 
cess of 15 mills. The limitations of the 
Smith law do not affect in any way the 
levies necessitated by such emergencies. 
' ' The Smith law was approved by the 
Governor June 2, 1911. The law, as it 
now stands, permitting the council to 
make an University levy, was not passed 
until April 18, 1913. The legislature 
evidently had the Smith law distinctly 



31 



in mind, because reference is specifically 
made to its limitations. The University- 
levy is exempted from those limitations, 
but is subjected to a new limitation, 
namely, that the combined maximum 
rate for all taxes levied in any year in 
any city or other taxing district shall 
not exceed 15 mills. This limitation, so 
far as concerns the University levy, is 
absolute and without exception. No ex- 
emption is made on account of the emer- 
gency levies provided for in the Smith 
law; consequently, when these emer- 
gency levies, added to the University 
levy and all other levies in the taxing 
district, bring the rate above 15 mills, 
the University levy becomes invalid. 
The legislature, in its effort to secure 
economy, merely said: 

" 'If you have been so unfortu- 
nate as to have been compelled to 
make emergency levies to repair 
roads or bridges destroyed by flood, 
or to combat epidemics, you are in 
no position to add to these burdens 
a University levy which will raise 
your tax rate above fifteen mills. 
Therefore, we will not allow you to 
make a University levy under such 
circumstances.' " 

"The second and controlling para- 
graph of the act of April 18, 1903, and 
found in 103 Ohio Laws 472 is as fol- 
lows: 

1 ' ' The above tax levies shall not 
be subject to any limitation of rates 
of taxation or maximum rates pro- 
vided by law, except the limitations 
herein provided, and the further ex- 
ception that the combined maxi- 
mum rate for all taxes levied in any 
city or other tax district shall not 
exceed fifteen mills.' " 

"The second paragraph of the Act 
above quoted means that the tax levies 
provided by the first section shall not 
be subject to any limitation except — 
first, that the levy shall not exceed 
55/100ths of a mill; and, second, that 
the combined rate of all taxes levied in 
any district shall not exceed 15 mills. 
That is, the interior limitations of the 
Smith law (G. C. 5649-2 to 5649-5b) are 
not effective. For example, while the 
city, for operating purposes, may not 
have more than 5 mills, it may levy a 
tax not in excess of 55/100ths of a mill 



for operation of a University, over and 
above the 5 mills permitted for other op- 
erating purposes. Again, while in any 
taxing subdivision, the total of taxes 
other than for interest and sinking fund 
shall not exceed 10 mills, a taxing divi- 
sion containing an University may levy 
10 mills for other operating purposes, 
with the University levy in addition. 
PROVIDED, IN ALL CASES, HOW- 
EVER, THAT THE TOTAL OF ALL 
TAXES LEVIED, INCLUDING THE 
UNIVERSITY LEVY, MUST NOT EX- 
CEED 15 MILLS." 

The total tax rate for the 1916 fiscal 
year is 15.2 mills. For the 1917 fiscal 
year the published rate is 15.8 mills. 
The university tax is clearly excluded. 

The council can secure some measure 
of relief and diminution of the inevi- 
table further deficit by the immediate 
withdrawal of so much of the ordinance 
of August 4, 1916, as relates to the uni- 
versity tax levy. Such action will leave 
a margin (aside from the levies outside 
of the 15 mill limit) of .513 mills inside 
of the 15 mill limit. A resolution duly 
approved by the electors at the Novem- 
ber election will enable the city to in- 
crease its revenues for administration 
purpose $150,000 and reduce the deficit 
of next year in that sum. Failing in 
this the aid of the courts must be in- 
voked to protect the property of the 
city from an illegal and illadvised tax 
levy. 

Tax revenues for the fiscal year are 
distributed as shown below : 

1. Interest and sinking fund, $1,140,000. 

2. City administration, $760,000. 

3. University, $150,000. 

The tax levies as now adjusted under 
the city ordinance of August 4, 1916, 
and the subsequent determination of the 
Budget Commission will produce approx- 
imately $2,050,000. 

Of this sum the Interest and sinking 
Fund Commission will require $1,140,- 
000, as shown by line number one above. 

The university has been awarded a 
levy which will produce approximately 
$150,000, as shown by line number three 
above. 

The sum remaining of tax revenues 
for the operation of all departments of 
the city government, including General 
Fund, Fire, Police, Streets, Electric 



32 



Lights, Sanitation, Health, Hospitals, 
Public Libraries, Parks, Boulevards, 
Play Grounds and Supervision, etc., etc., 
-is approximately $760,000, as indicated 
in line number two above ; a sum utterly 
inadequate to meet the requirements of 
the city administration, and making in- 
evitable a further increase in the deficit 
debt of the city. 

If the city will avail itself of the 
elastic provisions of the Smith one per 
cent law, to which attention has been 
drawn by the recent full publication of 
the same, the following increase of tax 
revenues for the pressing needs of the 
city for the ensuing year may be se- 
cured : 

1. Interest and sinking fund, $1,140,000. 

2. City administration, $760,000 + $150,- 
000 = $910,000. 

3. $150,000 withdrawn transferred to 
line above by joint action of council 
and electors. 

The allotment to the Interest and 
Sinking Fund cannot be changed, and 
must remain as shown in line number 
one above. 

The university award in the approxi- 
mate sum of $150,000 can be withdrawn 
by the council if given immediate atten- 
tion. This will leave a margin of .513 
of a mill inside of the 15 mill limit for 
the use of the city. 

By resolution of the council and ap- 
proval of the electors at the November 
election the margin of .513 mill repre- 
senting approximately $150,000, can be 
added to the tax revenues of the city for 
the ensuing fiscal year, as indicated 
above. 

The County Auditor would doubtless 
be subjected to some inconvenience in 
holding his duplicate open till after the 
November election, but not greater than 
the inconvenience which the Auditor of 
Hamilton county has accepted on several 
occasions without protest, on the request 
of Cincinnati and other taking districts 
in Hamilton county. 

The Toledo Times in its issue of Au- 
gust 29, 1916, called attention to the fact 
that but few cities in the state had 
reached the full 15 mill limit of taxation 
and that much relief was being found 



in bringing tax levies to the 15 mill limit 
as provided under the law and naively 
observed : 

"The law provides that cities may go out- 
side of the 10-mill limit so long as they keep 
within the 15 mills, provided only that a 
vote of the people is required to make the 
additional levy legal. This course, while 
not open to Toledo because the taxing limit 
has been reached, is a possible one in many 
Ohio cities, and if followed will provide the 
necessary revenue for continued operation" 

Why is this course not open to To- 
ledo 1 How was the full 15 mill limit of 
taxation reached? Not by levies for 
clean streets, sanatation, health, public 
and branch libraries, etc., etc., but by 
yielding to the importunities, of a group 
of men, comparative strangers in the 
city, for a levy to create a fund called 
the university fund, from which good 
salaries could be drawn for light and un- 
important work. 

How unprecedented is such university 
tax levy, even in cities whose financial 
conditions are free from embarrassment 
may be seen from the following schedule 
of cities, not one of which permits any 
part of the tax revenue to be diverted to 
such a purpose : 

Boston, Detroit, New Orleans, Los An- 
geles. Indianapolis, Seattle, Wooster, 
Scranton. Richmond, Nashville, Chicago, 
Baltimore, Buffalo, Washington, D. C, 
Jersey City, Louisville, Denver, Atlanta, 
Patterson. Oakland, Dayton, Philadel- 
phia, Cleveland. San Francisco, Newark, 
Kansas City, Providence, Portland, Syra- 
cuse, Omaha, Grand Rapids, St. Louis, 
Pittsburgh. Milwaukee, Minneapolis, 
Rochester, St. Paul, Columbus, New 
Haven,Memphis and Fall River. 

The annual report of the United 
States Commissioner of Education states 
that in the cities named above no munici- 
pal university extravagance is permitted. 
and the educational fund of such cities 
is devoted to the elementary, grammar, 
and high schools. 

New York City, with a population 
greater than the State of Ohio, maintains 
a Literary College but no university or 
professional schools. Many cities under 
Boards of Education maintain Junior 
Colleges — a two-years' extension of the 
hisrh school courses of instruction. 



33 



A PERTINENT INQUIRY 

It was a pertinent inquiry, from the 
Director of Finance, the Commission of 
Publicity and Efficiency, and the Com- 
merce Club, to learn under what 
authority could tax revenues be 
awarded to one department, to be used 
in collaboration and domination with 
other city departments — a method of 
taxation never before exercised in this 
state or in any state in the union, and 
without all precedent in the history of 
municipalities. 

No satisfactory reply could be se- 
cured from the university and resort 
was had to other sources of information 
— to the legal profession. The opinion 
secured from a group of able lawyers is 
subjoined. 

The Question. 

"Has the University the right to use 
the proceeds of the scientific levy of 
5/100ths of a mill for doing the scien- 
tific work of various city departments, 
such as the Division of Health and 
Engineering?" 

The Answer. 

"No. Taxes raised for University 
purposes must be expended for Uni- 
versity purposes and cannot be used for 
any other purpose. There is no more 
reason why the taxes from the Uni- 
versity levy should be used to support 
the Division of Health than to support 
the Department of Police or the Depart- 
ment of Harbors and Bridges. 

"The University authorities seem to 
recognize this fact, saying that the de- 
partments so aided are departments of 
the University. This is simply playing 
with names. The officials in the De- 
partment of Health are appointed by 
city officers to fill positions created by 
the charter. The same is true of the 
Public Library. To say that these de- 
partments are departments of the Uni- 
versity is a mere subterfuge and untrue 
in fact. These officers still remain sub- 
ject to the proper city departments and 
may be disciplined, controlled and dis- 
charged by them and not by the Board 
of Directors of the University." 



THE SCOTT MANUAL TRAINING 
SCHOOL. 

Over the main entrance to the Adams 
street wing of the Central High School 
Building is inscribed in deeply carved 
letters "The Scott Manual Training 
School. ' ' This wing was erected in 1884 
and became the first manual training 
school in Ohio, and the first manual 
training school in the United States 
conducted in connection with the pub- 
lic school system. 

This early Manual Training School in 
Toledo was made possible through the 
benefactions of the Scott families — the 
ancestor Jesup W. Scott, a pioneer citi- 
zen of Toledo. In his early days, public 
and private schools of whatever type, 
above the elementary grades, were little 
more than preparatory schools for the 
professions of Law, Medicine and The- 
ology. No technical instruction was im- 
parted for the more homely duties of 
every day life ; no instruction in the 
arts and trades ; no technical training 
for the future artizan ("artizan" was 
Mr. Scott's carefully selected word). 

With almost prophetic vision he saw 
that this condition ought not to con- 
tinue. He desired to aid. He gave of 
that which he had — land, a tract of 160 
acres on the outskirts of the city. His 
purpose was clearly set forth both in his 
deeds of trust and other documents of 
instruction to his trustees, no misappre- 
hension was possible. 

It is true that in his day the word 
university — especially in the then 
pioneer west — was used more loosely 
than now — often implying but little 
more than an efficient school of a cred- 
itable type (even today we frequently 
hear the expression — "the public 
library the university of the people. ") In 
this sense Mr. Scott used the word uni- 
versity, implying only an efficient 
school for instruction in the Arts and 
Trades — possible training for the future 
' ' artizan. ' ' This was understood by his 
trustees, and his sons, and never 
doubted. These sons added to the orig- 
inal gift certain valuable vacant city 
lots to promote the like purpose. 

Vacant lands and lots do not produce 
an income. The diffculty of reaching 
any important results became each year 



34 



more apparent. Through the co-opera- 
tion of the Scott Trustees with Win. H. 
Prank J. and Maurice A. Scott, sons of 
Jesup W. Scott, a tender was made of 
this trust estate to the city upon the 
condition that a Manual Training 
School should be maintained in Toledo 
in conjunction with the city high school 
and in co-operation with the Board of 
Education. This arrangement was final- 
ly consummated, and thus came into 
existence the Scott Manual Training 
School. 

For more than twenty years this 
school was so conducted as a part of the 
city high school, and all tax revenue 
came through the Board of Education. 
The council was never called upon to 
make any appropriation for this school. 

Under certain local legislation that 
then obtained — long since repealed — a 
convenient municipal commission was 
found for the care of this trust estate 
and the promotion of the Manual School 
in conjunction with the Board of Edu- 
cation,. The act was so loosely drawn 
as to provide for "University, College 
or Institution of Learning." The 
Manual School was not a University ; it 
was not a College, but it was an Insti- 
tution of Learning, and thus the act 
served a purpose. 

Later legislation was secured placing 
the full management and direction of 
the Manual School under the Board of 
Education and giving such board the 
care and use of the trust estate held by 
the city in trust for the aid of such 
school. This transfer was further con- 
summated by an ordinance of the city 
council. Here was the ideal solution of 
all the several interests — a solution 
which should have remained permanent. 

This condition would have remained 
permanent had not unexpected and un- 
related things happened. In 1902 the 
State Supreme Court ruled that all spe- 
cial legislation for localities was 
unconstitutional. In certain localities 
interests had grown up under local 
legislation which needed protection and 
this protection conld be given under the 
new ruling only under a general law. 
In some instances care was taken to de- 
fine the interest to be so protected that 
in fact the legislative power could not 
elsewhere be invoked. 



In 1903 a Toledo mayor — following a 
time honored custom — filled his ap- 
pointive positions largely from those 
who had been most helpful in promoting 
his political fortune. After making the 
customary appointments many re- 
mained unprovided for. A new exam- 
ination of the statute disclosed a pos- 
sible new board which would give 
official positions to nine — this was 
called the Directors of the University. 
The fact that there was no university 
in Toledo, and no univerisity to direct, 
was too unimportant for consideration. 

And here begins one of the most 
humiliating chapters in the history of 
Toledo and the creation of an open 
channel for the wasteful dissipation of 
taxation revenues. 

The first act of this new board so ap- 
pointed was to demand control of the 
Scott Manual Training School and pos- 
session of its trust properties, from the 
Board of Education where these had 
been placed by act of the state legis- 
lature. Strangely the Board of Educa- 
tion, while holding this demand unwar- 
ranted, yielded without legal contro- 
versy. Then followed the leasing of an 
old and decrepit Medical College Build- 
ing, meeting the cost of renovation, and 
rent from manual training school funds, 
the removal of the chemical laboratory 
of the Scott Manual Training School to 
the leased Medical Building and on its 
use advertising a College of Pharmacy 
in connection with its advertised Col- 
lege of Medicine. 

Later followed the abandonment of 
the Scott Manual School, prohibiting its 
maintenance bv the Board of Educa- 
tion, locking the doors and prohibiting 
any teacher or pupil to enter until the 
Board of Education should nay the 
price of such manual building and 
emiipments; then followed the payment 
of the price and such was the emerg- 
en ev confronting the Board of Educa- 
tion in order to open the school to 
several hundred waiting pupils, that it 
became necessary in making payment 
for such building and eouipment so 
wiekedely extorted, to use bonds which 
had been voted bv the people for new 
ward school buildings. 

Such is the story briefly told of the 
University controversy in Toledo, and 



35 



of the devices under which this preten- 
tion and costly adventure came into ex- 
istence. 

One of the schemes adopted to bring 
pressure on council members, has been 
the repeated insistance that if a tax 
levy for the University fails the title 
held by the city to the Scott tract will 
be lost through forfeiture to the Scott 
heirs. The President and a corps of his 
professors have devoted weeks and 
months to this preachment. 

The Director of Finance, seeking 
some information relating to the ex- 
horbitant demand of the University, 
sought enlightenment from the Presi- 
dent. Among the several questions 
asked in a written communication was 
the following: 

"Is it a fact that the University farm 
would revert to the Scott heirs, if the 
University were discontinued?" 

The illuminating and laconic answer, 
also in writing, was comprised in one 
word, "Yes." 

This brief answer was found not quite 
satisfactory, and further enlightenment 
was sought. 

The Committee of Public Efficiency 
and Economy of the Toledo Commerce 
Club, discounting the wisdom and 
learning of municipal university presi- 
dents sought the opinion of men learned 
in the law. The same question was 
asked, namely : 

Question 

"Is it a fact that the University farm 
would revert to the Scott heirs, if the 
University were discontinued?" 

The Answer 

The answer as indicated below was, 

"No." 

The able lawyers after a somewhat 
full historical review of the Scott gifts 
and what has come to be known as the 
University controversy, further replied 
as follows : 

' ' The foregoing lengthy review of the 
history of the University is given in 
order that the matter may be fully un- 
derstood and in order that there may 
be no misaprehension as to the extent or 



meaning of the decision in the case 
above mentioned. 

"It is clear that, for over twenty 
years after the organization of Toledo 
University, its sole work consisted in 
instruction in manual training, as an 
adjunct to the Toledo Central High 
School, wherein the instruction given 
was of high school grade and for high 
school pupils. The Circuit Court, sev- 
eral times previous to the decision 
above noted, held that this use of the 
funds was within the trust provisions 
of the Scott deeds. It will be noted that 
the original deed of Jesup W. Scott to 
The Toledo University of Arts and 
Trades was in trust to establish an in- 
stitution for the promotion of knowl- 
edge in the arts and trades. By his 
amendatory deed, he described the pur- 
pose in the former deed as being to 
furnish facilities for technical educa- 
tion, in addition to those furnished by 
the public schools, and by the amenda- 
tory deed, this limitation was qualified 
so that funds arising from this trust 
estate might be used in conjunction 
with, and as a part of, any educational 
fund for the promotion of the kind of 
education embraced in the trust, which 
mi>ht thereafter be furnishel by the 
state, citv or general government of the 
United States. 

' ' For many years, the income arising 
from this trust estate was used in con- 
junction with the moneys raised by the 
Board of Education from public taxa- 
tion for the support of the manual 
trainine* school. The income from the 
University farm is about $1,000 a year. 
So long as this income is used, either 
alone or in conjunction with other 
moneys furnished by the state, citv or 
general government to provide the kind 
of education specified in the trust, it is 
being used in accordance with the trust. 
Whether, therefore, the income from 
the University farm be used to help 
maintain the University as at present 
constituted, or to help maintain the 
manual traininer school conducted by 
the Board of Education, or be used 
alone to establish a school for the same 
purpose, or be cumulated until suffici- 
ent funds arise for that purpose, there 
is no diversion of the trust funds from 
the purposes specified by the trust." 



36 



The Toledo Press and the Municipal University 



When the directors of the so-called 
city university opened up their cam- 
paign for public approval, the Toledo 
press with almost one accord pointed 
out the futility of the scheme, the drain 
that would inevitably be made upon 
other more vital utilities, and called at- 
tention to the abundant opportunities 
for higher education furnished by the 
two great state universities now so ac- 
cessible to Toledo students at almost 
nominal cost. 

The events since transpired have so 
completely verified the predictions and 
sane considerations then urged, that it 
seems pertinent to recall a few of these 
editorial admonitions. 
(From Toledo Blade, June 12, 1908.) 
[Editorial.] 

How It Works and What It Costs. 

Toledo's Public Library; a Word to 

Council. 
Gentlemen of Council : * * * . * 

The levy agreed upon by your com- 
mittee for the university will mean 
$8,000 for the university trustees, is 
there a widespread demand for this 
levy? W 7 ho wants it? What can be ac- 
complished with it? You all know 
about the prolonged contest over the 
university. There is a medical college 
which certain gentlemen seem over- 
anxious to foist upon the city. That is 
all. What will $8,000 do towards build- 
ing up a seat of learning? Nothing. 
Let the board of education conduct the 
manual training schools, as it should. 
Is there a vociferous demand from the 
people for the city to manage the medi- 
cal college? Haven't heard of it; have 
you? 

But in the public library you have a 
great university, one whose growth 
demonstrates that it is popular. It has 



*The tax revenue for the public library 
for the 1916 fiscal year was reduced to 
$15,905 — 8 cents per capita. The purchase 
of books has been abandoned; the library 
rooms are now closed, evenings, Sundays 
and holidays "for want of funds." 

In the meantime the university tax rev- 
enue for 1917 has been increased to $143,672 
— 72 cents per capita, notwithstanding the 
medical department has been put out of 
business for incompetency by the State 
Medical Board and the American Medical 
Association. 



20,000 students aside from those who 
daily visit its reference and reading 
rooms. It is in financial straits caused 
by an ever-increasing voluntary patron- 
age. Are you going to cripple this uni- 
versity of the people by withholding 
funds and give these funds to an insti- 
tution for which there is no popular 
demand ? 

Don't you think you would better 
serve your constituents by rejecting the 
action of your committee with reference 
to the university levy and increase the 
levy for the public library to that 
extent ?* 

Think it over, gentlemen. 

[The so-called university levy was in 
1908 rejected by the tax commissioners.] 



(From Toledo Blade, June 3, 1904.) 
If the city were thoroughly equipped 
with grade and high schools, if we had 
reached a point in our educational sys- 
tem where nothing further could be 
done, except in the way of extension, if 
we had no municipal debt, it might be 
well enough to undertake the establish- 
ment of a university ; but until we reach 
those conditions, it seems utter folly to 
talk of taxing the people for a purpose 
of the kind proposed. 

There is much to be done yet before 
our local school system is perfected. We 
are lacking in facilities, lacking in 
teachers, lacking in school room ; and 
these defects must first command the at- 
tention of the people. There is com- 
plaint, and plenty of it, because of our 
high tax rate, and council has been en- 
gaged for months in a commendable 
effort to make the levy as low as pos- 
sible and at the same time maintain the 
efficiency of the various departments.* 



*It is a singular fact that all the "univer- 
sity" levies and appropriations were made 
without any investigation or effort to learn 
what necessity obtained for such levies and 
appropriations; and no valuation was made 
of the work done under the Board of Educa- 
tion — a body to which the state had en- 
trusted the educational work of the city. 

Had such an investigation been made, the 
council would have learned that the city 
high schools, under the Board of Education, 
were authorized to furnish and were furnish- 
ing- instruction equal to the larger part of 
the collegiate instruction furnished 50 years 
ago, and equal to that furnished by many 
such institutions today. 



37 



(From Toledo Times, March, 1904.) 
The Preposterous University Project. 

The only thing that the present uni- 
versity boomers have to start such an 
institution as they propose is a host of 
hazy intentions and the name, and even 
that isn't untarnished. The need of the 
times it seems to us,' is not for more 
universities and more book learning for 
an aristrocratic few. The masses of the 
people are the ones to be uplifted and 
inspired with opportunities, music, art, 
and the crafts. It would be an inexcus- 
able diversion of public funds for this 
city to support schools of medicine, law 
and other professions when only a few 
can avail themselves of the opportuni- 
ties and when comparatively few are 
needed in the professions. They are all 
too much crowded now to make further 
subsidizing necessary. Toledo is doing 
all that she could be expected to do in 
giving high school opportunities. Let 
people who want higher education than 
we are now giving pay for it as they 
should pay for any other luxury. The 
city of Toledo can't if it desired, put up 
the endowment of millions that would 
be necessary to make such a university 
as is denned by law an accomplished 
fact. 

The state has already such an institu- 
tion well established, and for the few 
Toledoans who can or will desire to 
avail themselves of this advanced work, 
this university is enough. Let us spend 
what money we must on such educa- 
tional institutions as will benefit and 
uplift the masses. Let us widen the 
base of the educational pyramid and let 
the apex run up as it will. 



Extravagant Bulletins 



[The above reprints are specimens of 
editorial opinion appearing in the To- 
ledo press for many years. To reprint 
them would require half the space in 
this pamphlet. 

The Toledo press, dispairing of hav- 
ing its excellent advice followed, ac- 
cepts the university as a prolific foun- 
tain of news, weakly imitating all the 
functions of a strong and well seasoned 
institution.] 



An early bulletin of the pretended 
University published the names of 448 
"Matriculants." An examination dis- 
closed that these were the names of 
boys and girls in the ninth, tenth, 
eleventh and a few in the twelfth 
grades of the Public Schools, but many 
so published as "matriculants" had al-. 
ready dropped out of school, that but 
few had completed the high school 
course and these were principally a 
class of young women who had re- 
turned to the Manual School to take a 
course of 16 lessons in cooking. 

The United States Bureau of Educa- 
tion in its annual report for 1910 — on 
the authority of Toledo LTniversity of- 
ficers — credited this institution with 
750 students. (Under date of July 14, 
1914, a retiring president in an open 
letter to the press said: "Four years 
ago when I became president of the uni- 
versity, the student body had been re- 
duced to thirty.") The following year 
a bulletin was published with the names 
of 154 arts and science students claimed 
to be in attendance ; these names dis- 
closed a remarkable system of padding ; 
professors were enrolled as students in 
the several colleges; the wives of a 
small circle of "University" promoters 
were enrolled as regular students; 
teachers in the public schools taking 
two or three lessons per week after 
school hours were enrolled as full time 
university students, together with a 
considerable number who had never 
completed the high school course of in- 
struction. 

The floating character of such enroll- 
ment was shown by the fact that one 
year after the publication of such 154 
names, but 25 remained in class attend- 
ance ; other names of like "floating at- 
tendance appear to have been secured. 



38 



What a Municipal University " Dean " Teaches 



On the morning of May 27, 1916, the 
Toledo Times published certain resolu- 
tions adopted the evening before by To- 
ledo Post No. 127, Grand Army of the 
Republic, wherein certain recent utter- 
ances of Prof. Scott Nearing of the To- 
ledo University were sharply criticized 
and condemned. 

A pledge frequently recited in con- 
cert by children in the public schools, 
contains these words: "I pledge my 
allegiance to my flag and to the republic 
for which it stands, one nation, in- 
divisable, and freedom and justice for 
all." 

In a public address commenting on 
this pledge Prof. Nearing "of the To- 
ledo University," said: "The phrase 
'freedom and justice for all' is humbug 
and we are putting misstatements into 
the mouths of the children when we ask 
them to repeat the words." 

On another occasion in a public ad- 
dress commenting upon devotion to the 
national flag, he said: "The flag belongs 
to the capitalists, why should we fight 
for the capitalists?" 

The resolutions unanimously adopted 
by the Post of the Grand Army say in 
part : 

"Your committee believe that nothing 
has ever transpored in our city since the 
close of the Civil War, which has so 
thoroughly disgusted and humiliated 
the patriotic people of Toledo as these 
untruthful statements. ... In the 
opinion of your committee the utter- 
ances made by Nearing are of a nature 
defamatory and damnable in the ex- 
treme." 

The resolutions adopted also gave en- 
dorsement to the resolutions adopted a 
few days before by the Sons of the 
American Revolution, in which the 
statements made by Prof. Nearing were 
submitted to severe criticisms and re- 
buke. Post No. 12 of the Grand Army 
of the Republic has also adopted like 
condemnatory resolutions, and Posts in 
other parts of the state have taken sim- 
ilar action. 

In the evening of the same day on 
which the resolutions of the Grand 
Army Post No. 127 were published. 



there appeared in the Toledo Blade 
what purported to be a press dispatch as 
follows : 

"Philadelphia, May 27.— The report of 
the committee on inquiry named by the 
American Association of University Profes- 
sors to investigate the case of Prof. Scott 
Nearing, and the failure of the trustees of 
the University of Pennsylvania to reappoint 
him a member of the faculty of the Wharton 
School was made public tonight. 

"The report upholds Nearing throughout, 
and declares in as many words that their in- 
vestigations bring them to one conclusion, 
that Nearing was practically dismissed." 

The report of the above committee, 
representing what the New York press 
has called the Professors' Union, was 
given to the public early in January, 
1916, four months before the above im- 
provised press dispatch. 

The above phrase, "made public to- 
night, Philadelphia, May 27," may be 
set down as an ingenious device to lead 
the Toledo public to think that the find- 
ing of such committee, so oportunely 
made public, was a sufficient reply to 
the resolutions adopl.e.1 by the Anthony 
Wayne Chapter of the Sons of the 
American Revolution and the Toledo 
Post No. 127 of the Grand Army of the 
Republic. 

The New York Times, made editorial 
comment upon this report of the Profes- 
sors' Union, early in January, 1916, and 
several magazines gave space to this re- 
port in the months following. The full 
report is in fact a two edged sword ; it 
cuts both ways. While ostensibly giving 
aid and succor to Prof. Nearing, it 
nevertheless includes the following para- 
graph which as the New York Times ob- 
served, "throws out of court the whole 
controversy." After enlarging upon the 
demands of free speech, the committee 
further said : 

"The liberty of the scholar within the 
university, to set forth his conclusions, be 
they, what they may, is conditioned, by their 
being conclusions gained by a scholar's 
methods, and held in a scholar's spirit; that 
is to say thev must be the fruits of compe- 
tent and patient and sincere inquiry, and 
they should be set forth with dignity, cour- 
tesy and temperateness of language." 

It is pertinent to inquire whether the 
recent utterances of Prof. Nearing "of 
the Toledo University ? ' were "the fruits 



39 



of competent, patient and sincere in- 
quiry," "gained by a scholar's methods 
and held in a scholar's spirit?" Was 
it by this method and in this spirit that 
he reached the conclusion that "the 
American Flag belongs to the capital- 
ists — why should we fight for the capi- 
talists ? ' ' And again, that in the pledge 
recited b}^ school children, affirming 
"allegiance to the flag and to the re- 
public for which it stands, one nation, 
indivisable, freedom and justice for 
all, ' ' these children were asked to repeat 
words which were "humbug" and 
"misstatements were put in their 
mouths." Were these conclusions "set 
forth with dignity, courtesy, and tem- 
perateness of language ? ' ' 

Commenting nearly five months ago 
upon the restrains required in the exer- 
cise of free speech as set forth by the 
committee in the Nearing case, the New 
York Times said : 

"It is by the /iolation of all or most of 
these conditions that a few professors have 
lost their posts. It would be well for the 
Professors' Union to understand that the 
screechings, shallowness, and the pretense 
of too many professors are bringing to the 
vocation a certain discredit. The Union 
suffers from the violence of some of its 
members." 

When such discredited professors, as 
a last resort seek a "municipal" uni- 
versity to furnish an umbilical cord for 
university connection, what might under 
some circumstances become a tragedy, 
now becomes a comedy. 

In striking contrast with these utter- 
ances of a municipal university professor 
are the words of a justice of the United 
S f ates Supreme Court spoken in Wash- 
ington, D. C, June 5, 1915, who said: 

' The flag is the symbol of our national 
unity, our national endeavor, our na- 
tional aspiration. It means America 
first ; it means an undivided allegiance. 
It means America united, strong and 
efficient, equal to her tasks. 

' ' The flag speaks of equal rights ; of 
the inspiration of free institutions, ex- 
emplified and vindicated ; of liberty 
under law, intelligently conceived and 
imnartially administered." 

It may be safely assumed that the con- 
victions so clearly set forth by a justice 
of the United States Supreme Court, 
now candidate for the hi^h office of 
President of the United States, were 
"conclusions gained by a scholar's meth- 



ods and held in a scholar's spirit," and 
were "set forth with dignity, courtesy 
and temperateness of language. ' ' Mani- 
festly the municipal university professor 
reached his conclusions by a very dif- 
ferent mental process. 

Later the New York Times, commen- 
ting on the above utterances, with al- 
most brutal truthfulness observed: 
"None but the most abandoned and 
falsehearted would dissent from the de- 
claration that the flag means America 
first and an undivided allegiance, that it 
means America united, strong, efficient 
and equal to her tasks," 

It is by such utterances that the 
' ' Municipal University ' ' seeks publicity, 
and is willing to resort to such methods, 
to get itself "talked about," hoping by 
such repetition to impose the conviction 
on the public at home and abroad that a 
Toledo Municipal University exists. In 
this particular phase of publicity the 
cost is only $225 per month plus office 
rent, secretary and stenographer. This 
sum so expended by the city would keep 
the public library open evenings, holi- 
days and Sundays, and would make pos- 
sible the purchase of a new book for the 
public library now and then. 



The New York Times in its issue of 
January 1, 1916, humorously comments 
on a Toledo professor as follows: 

The Crash of New York: Professor 
Scott Nearing seems to have recovered fully 
from the tortures of martyrdom inflicted on 
him bv the trustees of the University of 
Pennsylvania in June. He is now teaching 
economics at the University of Toledo. He 
is full of faith and activity. "University 
students," he tells his Toledo blades, "should 
know how to serve their community. I 
have come here to stick my finger in public 
affairs and teach them." 

The professor's English is a bit ambigu- 
ous, but his courage and his purpose are 
fine. He proceeded to stick his fingers into 
—New York— this city of dreadful blight. 
"The worst city in the world," he calls it. 
Worse than Philadelphia, that unjust step- 
mother? The professor must be cruel only 
to be kind. He is warning the wicked for 
their own good. "I would predict that the 
citv will crash one of these days. * * * 
A New Yorker believes that greatness means 
quantity." With respect, Professor Near- 
ing. in spite of his gift of habitual under- 
statement, is too severe with New York. _ It 
venerates quality; and his especial quality 
of moderation it will admire until the crash 
comes and the wide arch of our ranged city 
falls. 



40 



Needless University Duplication 



SCHOOL ANNOUNCEMENTS. 

How the so-called Toledo University at- 
tempts to compete with public and private 
schools in the city and thus to increase its 
"university enrollment" will appear from 
the comparison of the subjoined advertise- 
ments. 

For Evening High schools, see the illus- 
trated 45-page pamphlet published by the 
Board of Education, entitled, "The Evening 
High School and Its Work; Maintained by 
the Board of Education." 



Educational Department. 

Y. M. C. A., Toledo, Ohio. 

Call at the Y. M. C. A. and talk over the 
courses with the Educational Secretary. 

Night school classes for the man who 
wishes to increase his salary. Classes will 
be given in mechanical drawing, architec- 
tural drawing, automobile and stationary en- 
gineering, machinist helpers, shop mathe- 
matics, bookkeeping, stenography, account- 
ing, advertising, salesmanship, law, credits, 
mathematics, common branches, college 
preparatory, civil service, first aid, stam- 
mering, English for foreign speaking men. 

Practical instructors — low cost. 

Write or inquire for catalog and full in- 
formation. 



Night School— 3 Months $6.00. 

Three evenings a week — 200 enrolled sec- 
ond evening. Attend the big, popular school 
and you'll not be disappointed — shorthand, 
bookkeeping, English, foreigners' English, 
mechanical drawing, adding machine. Eight 
teachers already. Best service for foreign- 
ers. Swiftest shorthand on earth. The only 
purely actual bookkeeping taught in Toledo. 
Enter Monday or any later date. Both 
phones. 

TRI-STATE UNIVERSITY, 
C. H. MELCHOIR & SONS. 



Day and Night School Now Open. 

Students may enter at any time and re- 
ceive thorough instruction in our bookkeep- 
ing, shorthand or English departments. The 
Night School meets Monday and Thursday 
evenings. The sessions and recitation per- 
iods have been lengthened so that the same 
time is given in two evenings as formerly 
in three. Both phones. 

Thurman P. Davis, Principal. 

DAVIS BUSINESS COLLEGE. 



UNIVERSITY ADVERTISEMENTS. 
Tonight's the Night. 

Picked classes in Stenography and Book- 
keeping will be organized tonight in Toledo 
University — your municipal college. Ap- 
proximately 50 young men and women are 
going to be given a chance to prepare them- 
selves for responsible positions here in the 
city. They are going to receive training 
that will secure them bigger and better paid 
positions. 

This is the last call. If you haven't ar- 
ranged for an appointment but want to 
take advantage of this opportunity come 
down to the building tonight. Get an inter- 
view with one of the men in charge. Only 
the brightest and most promising young 
men and women are wanted for these 
classes — and you may be one of them. You 
are at least given this last chance to prove 
that you are eligible for the classes. 

This is one of those big opportunities that 
occasionally knock at our doors. If you 
know an opportunity when it comes you 
know that this is too good a thing to 
pass up. 

TOLEDO UNIVERSITY, 

Eleventh and Illinois Streets. 



WANTED— Efficient Stenographers. You 
see that in almost every issue of the daily 
papers. Why not take advantage of it by 
preparing yourself for such a position ? At- 
tend the class in Stenography in Toledo 
University, starting February 15. It costs 
only $2.50, and meets Tuesday, Thursday 
and Friday evenings. Register for the 
work any evening this week at University 
Building. 

TOLEDO UNIVERSITY, 

Eleventh and Illinois Streets. 



Salesmen and Saleswomen 

Increase your earning power and prepare 
for advancement by enrolling for Salesman- 
ship or Merchandising in the Municipal Col- 
lege of Commerce and Business of Toledo 
University. Course in salesmanship meets 
Saturday afternoon. Costs $8. The hour for 
the class in merchandising will be arranged 
to suit the class. Cost is $8. Work starts 
February 15 and lasts until June 12. 

Register any evening this week from 5:30 
o'clock to 7:30 o'clock. 

TOLEDO UNIVERSITY, 

Eleventh and Illinois Streets. 



METROPOLITAN BUSINESS COLLEGE, 
318-320 Summit Street. 



Come down to the University building, 
Eleventh and Illinois streets, tonight and 
sign up for work in stenography. Class 
meets Tuesday, Thursday, Friday evenings. 
The cost is $2.50. 

TOLEDO UNIVERSITY, 
Your Municipal University. 



LIBRARY OF CONGRESS 



028 329 048 7 



THE SLOGAN OF THE MUNICIPAL 

UNIVERSITY 



" If you seek for information, 
Or desire an education, 
Vm a briming fount of wisdom 
That responds to every call. 

"If you re seeking after knowledge 
I can discount any college — 
Vm a simple little ostrich, 
But I know it all " 



J 



LIBRARY OF CONGRESS 



028 329 048 7 



Hollinger Corp. 
P H8.5 



LIBRARY OF CONGRESS 




Hollinger Corp. 
pH8.5 



